Worlds Apart
by Randomnormality
Summary: She is the sister he has lost during his childhood. He is the brother she never knew. One, raised on Vulcan. The other, raise on Earth. It is a tragedy that brings them together, yet a tragedy keeps them apart. From times spent at the Academy and a mission to save Vulcan, the two siblings learn how truly different they are. Especially when friendships are formed. J/OC, MC/OC(dif)
1. Bound Through Tragedy

**Prologue  
**_Bound Through Tragedy_

* * *

Two months was all it took. Two months of desperation and fear as they tried to survive against immeasurable odds. Two months of unquenchable hunger and death. Two months of seeing innocent men, women and children slaughtered due to genetics. Two months of coming across dead bodies; some missing limbs and any traces of meat as a result of the last resort method of survival. Two months of pure chaos that would plague them for the rest of their lives, binding them in a way no one else could ever understand.**  
**

Tarsus IV changed their lives, stripping them of any innocence they may have had left and left them with nightmares and triggers.

"Jade."

The familiar voice brings her from her weary thoughts. Though Jade isn't her true name, she turns in response to the teenage boy. It seemed a survival instinct to not reveal their true names; their names derived from features that stood out the most. Her bright, soft-jade colored eyes remain impassive as she meets sky-blue eyes. Neither of them would ever be the same. After they leave this Federation Med Center, finally back on Earth, they would each part ways and return to whatever lives they lived before.

Not that anything would be like it was before.

"Hello, Sky."

He shifts his body awkwardly, rearranging his grip on the pack strapped across his back, "When does your shuttle leave?"

"Fifteen minutes," she answers curtly, though after the past two months, Sky was no longer bothered by her general aloofness. "Did you require something?"

He shakes his head, "No. I..." he pauses, unsure of how to breech the topic, "Look, can I just...walk you to your gate? My shuttle doesn't leave for another thirty minutes."

Offering him a small, sincere smile, the raven-haired girl nods slowly, "I welcome it."

"So..." Sky trails off, searching for something to break the comfortable silence as the pair move through the port. "Are you looking forward to seeing your parents?"

Jade looks at him briefly from the corner of her eyes before they move back to looking forward, "I can't remember my parents. I was adopted by my aunt when I was little."

"Why were you on the colony?" Sky asks, instinctively not using the planet's name.

"I lived on the colony for about a year, attending the University," she replies simply.

"University?" His bright blue eyes blink in shock, "You're like...what? Fifteen?"

Jade's lips twitch at the impressed gleam in his eyes, "Yes, I am. I..." Jade shrugs nonchalantly, "I happen to be...smart. I was majoring in Strategy and Tactic, along with Basic Combat Training and Combat Analysis courses."

"Holy shit," he breathes out, "You're not smart. You're a freaking genius."

A small huff of laughter, a feeling she hasn't felt in a long time, escapes her, "I suppose. I don't like to display it, as it tends to make others...uneasy."

Arriving at the shuttle, the two turn to face each other, both taking the time to take in the sight of the person that has stood by them during such a tragedy. Without warning, Sky reaches across the short distance between them, wrapping his arms around the back of her shoulders and pulling the smaller girl toward him. Remembering her aunt's displays of affection, Jade smiles into his shoulder as her arms wrap around his torso. They may have not known each other long, but Suri's throat tightens at the thought of leaving her companion, an unusual burning sensation prickling in her eye. Closing them tightly, trying to will away the sensation, her grip tightens around him, her chest expanding as takes in every smell and the steady thrumming of his heartbeat.

"Is it weird if I said I'm going to miss you?" Sky asks, his own arms tightening, pulling her closer and she feels a pair of lips press against the side of her head.

"Perhaps," she responds, a teasing tilt on her words, "but within reason, I admit I will miss you as well."

Hearing the last call to board, the two steps away from each other.

"Hey," Jade pauses, glancing at him over her shoulder, "Will you tell me your real name?"

Thinking it over, she nods, facing him one last time as she extends her hand, "My name is Suri."

Calloused meets smooth as he claps his own hand in hers, a broad grin displaying gleaming white teeth appearing on his face, "Nice to meet you, Suri. I'm Jim."

With those last words, the two friends-of-circumstance part ways.

Not knowing that another tragedy will bring them together once more.

This one far more personal than either expected.


	2. In the Wake of a Tragedy

**Chapter One**  
_In the Wake of Tragedy_

* * *

It didn't surprise Suri that it took nearly a year for her to reconcile with her past. At first, she wasn't sure how to respond. Her Aunt Melanie, or Lanie for short, had introduced her countless ways of purging her thoughts. Lanie was a curious type of woman; an artist by nature and flamboyant at times, but Lanie had more heart than anyone Suri had known. Lanie introduced her to drawing; and with Suri's concentration to detail, the young girl succeeded in crafting sketches of near perfection.

By sixteen, Suri had grown out of her reclusive shell, but still had yet to build a friendship with anyone. During one of Lanie's community art classes, Suri had been introduced to a girl, a few years her senior. At first, Suri had been skeptical of the white-blonde hair, dark-blue eyes and natural beauty. What could they possibly have in common?

They actually didn't have _anything_ in common.

Yet a friendship unlike any other formed. Emila Victoria Hayes, her nickname Evee derived from her first two initials, brash, sarcastic, stubborn, but compassionate above all else. Unlike Suri's tactical driven mind, Evee was clinical minded; taking classes aimed toward Medicinal Sciences. The one thing they grew to understand is that both were well-knowledgeable in their given area of study. Where Suri could break down a tactical response and give every possible outcome, Evee could diagnose an illness and point out every clinical manner to fix it.

The next few years, their friendship grew to form a bond that Suri had only felt once before in her life.

Especially when Evee introduced Suri to what Humans refer to as 'extreme sports'. Space Jumping out of shuttles. Cliff Diving over waterfalls. Dangerous actions Suri hadn't performed since her time on the colony. Dangerous stunts she had only pulled in desperation and need; not in an attempt to feel more than the numb echoes of Human emotion.

Suri obtained her credentials and began teaching Basic Combat classes; aimed toward teenagers wishing to enlist in Starfleet's Security Division. Evee began working at a local hospital. For the first time, in a long time, Suri began to feel as though she was accomplishing something. But there was a sense of restlessness building within her. A restlessness ingrained in her from those two horrid months on the colony; of staying on edge and on the move. A sensation that clawed beneath her skin.

Suri knew something was around the corner. A catalyst that would change her life forever.

* * *

Her thick black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the thick fringe of her bangs covering the majority of her ears from view, as well as brushing over her eyes without actually impeding her vision. Dressed in a simple, black mini-dress, dark-green leggings and black ankle-boots, she moves down the brightly lit hallway with precise, assured steps. Even if the assurance of her movement is forced.

"Can I help you, Miss?"

The twenty-three year old Suri pauses at the receptionist, her eyes dark with unrecognizable emotion, "You may. I am here to see Melanie Grayson."

After gaining the information, Suri stalks through the halls, ignoring the coughing patients and sobbing relatives. Arriving at her destination, Suri inhales deeply before stepping into the room. Seeing the strong, brave woman appearing so frail, Suri is forced to blink back the burning sensation she has only felt one other time in her life.

"Suri," the weak croak sends a shudder through Suri's body. "Come here, child. I...we have to talk."

"You must conserve your strength, Aunt Lanie."

A weak, but genuine, laugh fills the room, "You and I both know I only have the matter of a few days. I want to talk to you about your parents."

"With all due respect, Aunt Lanie, the only parental role models I can remember was filled by only one person," Suri responds curtly, her eyes shooting Lanie a pointed look.

"I know, but you don't understand. I never had the heart to tell you when you were a child and after what happened on the colony..." Lanie pauses, dropping her gaze to her shaky, frail hands, "I felt that you wouldn't understand."

Suri inhales deeply before nodding, "Alright, Aunt Lanie. I will listen."

"When you were born, you were...well...a surprise. My sister, Amanda, was so happy to have given birth to, not only a son, but a daughter as well a few years after," Suri blinks slowly as the revelation of her having a sibling, "Your condition wasn't noticed until a few months after your birth."

"My condition?" Suri doesn't recall her ever having a condition.

"Your Human appearance never faded. It was your eyes that gave it away," Lanie answers, leaving Suri to quirk an eyebrow in response, "Your mother is Human, but your father is Vulcan. Unlike your brother, who displayed more Vulcan traits, you never grew out of your Human appearance. In order to keep you from the emotional pain your mother was sure the Vulcan children would have placed on you, she sent me a message, asking if I would be willing to take you in and care for you as my own."

"So...my mother just...gave me away?" Suri manages to ask.

"Haven't you noticed how different your mind works? You are able to attain more information, more facts, than your peers. You learned at an accelerated rate. You attended a University at the age of fifteen. You are a child of two worlds, Suri, and you always will be, and I can't tell you how proud I am of everything you have accomplished and everything you have overcome."

Suri is unable to stop the single tear that escapes her eyes, her head shaking, "I don't understand. Why was I given away so freely?"

"Your mother loves you, Suri. She messages me once a month, asking about you. I have told her everything, except what has happened on the colony. She wanted what was best for _you_, and she knew, because of your appearance, you would have been singled out more than any other. She didn't want you to grow up feeling inferior to those around you. She wanted you to...be happy."

"Why am I being told all of this now?" Suri asks, the ache in her chest growing.

"I spoke with Amanda last month, and after telling her about my condition, she mentioned that your older brother, Spock, is an instructor at the Starfleet Academy. She said, if you wish to, that you at least know you have family here on Earth."

Silence to fill the room, Suri's eyes darkened with thought before they brighten, shooting up to Lanie, "You want me to _enlist_."

It wasn't a question, and Lanie didn't insult her intelligence by denying the fact as she nods, "I know you have grown restless. You and Evee haven't had one of your..._excursions_ for quite some time. Starfleet can give you a chance to get out and become something more than what you are now," Lanie's green eyes, so much like her own, glisten with tears, "You have such potential and you don't do it justice by just..._settling_ here."

"This is your last request of me, isn't it?" Suri asks, her voice tired, weak and broken as her shattered gaze drops to her hands. "You _want_ me to do this."

"I want _you_ to want this. I want you to take every opportunity to make the best of your life, and with a mind like yours and the aptitude for combat you have, Starfleet is your only option."

Suri shoots to her feet, the chaotic storm of emotions raging within her mind, "I need...I have to go," Pausing to grant her aunt a kiss on the cheek, Suri shudders as one of her own tears drips onto the older woman's cheek, "I love you, Aunt Lanie."

"And I love you."

* * *

Taped knuckles connect with the punching bag in a series of quick, precise jabs. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Suri ignores the tears staining her cheeks as her knuckles continue to hit the bag, the visible skin along her torso and arms coated with a thin layer of perspiration although her breathing remains even. She doesn't want the pain and sorrow waging war in her mind. She doesn't want any of it.

"Suri? You've been at it for hours, luv. You can't keep doing this to yourself."

The anger, frustration and sorrow grows at her friend's words as Suri's arm cocks back and with every ounce of pain and strength in her hybrid physiology, the punch causes the chain holding the bag to snap.

"Suri?"

"What do I do, Evee?" Suri asks brokenly without turning to her friend.

"You do what you think is right; what you feel is your best path," Evee replies carefully, "and with the knowledge that whatever decision you make, I will always be with you."

"Even if it means to enlist?"

"Even if it means to enlist," Evee concedes, compassionate as always. "As if I'd let you have all the fun."

A broken, watery laugh escapes Suri, the raven-haired half-breed turning to her friend, nodding, "Alright."

* * *

It takes a month for the two girls to sort everything out. The funeral of Melanie Grayson was a sad sight for the community; the entire community coming out to mourn the death and celebrate the life of the lively woman. It took awhile to go through her aunts house; the local museum purchasing several pieces of Lanie's artwork to act as a permanent exhibit as tribute to the woman that put so much work into bettering the community as a whole. It was when she was in the process of going through her aunt's personal things that Suri came across a letter that solidified her decision to enlist.

_My Dearest Suri,_

_If you are reading this, then it means that my time has come to an end. I wanted to thank you for becoming such an integral part of my life. Your mother, Amanda, knew that I was barren, unable to have any children of my own; and while you may not be mine genetically, you became mine the moment you opened those eyes and smiled at me as I lifted you into my arms. You have been the light of my life; a bright burning star in the darkness of space. You gave me a reason to be happy, a reason to live and a reason to laugh and smile every day._

_I ask only one last thing of you._

_Take my surname, the maiden name of your own mother, as your own. Take it and embrace the fact that you are the product of two incredible people. You may not know this, and may find it skeptical to hear, but I know your father truly loved your mother the day he asked my permission to marry your mother. Vulcans may not express emotion, but I know what I witnessed that day. Never doubt the love both of them had for you, either. Take this chance to know them._

_With all of my love, and a lifetime of smiles,_

_Melanie Grayson_

* * *

It takes a week after the beginning of her semester to work up the courage to seek out her estranged brother. Between getting in the routine of her classes and juggling luncheons with Evee, Suri wasn't sure how to approach a person she's never really known. She had never been good at meeting people; must be the Vulcan in her. After locating his position within the Starfleet Academy, she finally swallowed back her nerves and approached his office.

_Instructor Spock  
Vulcan Xenolinguistic, Molecular Xenobiology_

Well, at least they don't have the same area of study. He seems to have an area of study that would suggest he wishes to pursue a career as a Science Officer. Pretty impressive, she muses.

Watching as a group of students leave the classroom, whispering among each other as they try to ascertain dialects, Suri bows her head before entering the room. A standard lecture hall, no personal touches added to the room.

"I do not believe you are one of my students," the collected, calm tone breaks through her thoughts, causing her to tense, "May I help you with something?"

Inhaling deeply, she nods before turning her full gaze to the man in question. Dark brown eyes, _Human_ eyes, stare at her from the stoic, _Vulcan_ features. Hair as dark as her own cropped short around the circumference of his head. Strong, angular face. Eyebrows shaped differently than her own. Ears...her gaze settles on his ears, her own fingers moving to play with the ends of her bangs. He has her ears.

"Miss? I'm afraid I do not have much time to waste. Please state your business or remove yourself from my classroom."

The words catch in her throat, her eyes watching as he continues to collect his things. His eyes dismiss her with a cold air as he moves around her, moving toward the door.

"My name is Suri," she blurts out, swallowing again as the tall figure freezes, "S-Suri Grayson. I...Aunt Lanie passed away and she told me about...about you, and yo-" Suri's tongue sticks to the roof of her mouth, "our parents. I...guess I just wanted to see it for myself."

Slowly, the young man before her turns to face her. Calculating eyes scrutinize her features, trying to ascertain the truth behind her words. The reaction is minute; microscopic even, faster than anyone with an untrained eye to catch. Those all-too-Human brown eyes flicker with an odd mixture of surprise and disbelief.

"You _are_ my sister," the tension along the stressed word isn't much, but she catches it.

"As you are my brother," she pauses, looking him over once more, "Spock."

He is silent, thoughtful and contemplative, before he nods curtly, "I must admit, I had not expected to ever see you again. I am willing to extend an offer of a shared meal between us."

His words are empty of emotion, but...something tells her he _wants_ her to be there. He _is_ her older brother. He would have carried more memories of her, then she would of him. Maybe, somewhere behind the Vulcan stoicism, the Human part of him had _missed_ her.

"Okay," she agrees calmly, offering him a bright smile, "I guess I could eat."

A curt nod is her only response before he leaves the room, her smaller figure picking up its pace as to keep up with his long strides.


	3. Tactical Survivors

**Chapter Two**  
_Tactical Survivors_

* * *

"Suri!"

Green eyes blink as the raven-haired woman looks up from the PADD, watching as the beautiful blonde she calls a friend saunters into the room like she owns the place. Seeing a familiar bag of Chinese take-out, Suri places her PADD on her study desk before meeting her friend at the small, round table they had placed in the corner of their room. As they each take their preferred dish, the two break apart the chopsticks; a moment of habitual silence as they tuck into their meals.

"So..." Evee trails off, dark blue eyes looking at her friend pointedly, "How did your lunch with your new-found sibling go?"

"It went well," Suri replies simply, getting a familiar look from the blonde before she sighs, "At the beginning anyway."

"What happened?"

A tick appears along the edge of Suri's jaw as her teeth clench, "He asked what area of study I am taking for Starfleet, and when I told him I was on track for Security Division, he told me with my intelligence, I should seek something more challenging and more stimulating."

Evee swallows her mouthful of food, eyes wide, "You're kidding? Did you tell him that you actually like tactics and all that calculating shit you do?"

"Yes. He said that Vulcan's are a peaceful race, and do not engage in combat that is outside of reason."

"Suri?"

Green eyes blink slowly, "Yes?"

"For a genius IQ level, your brother is a fucking idiot."

Snorting into her drink, Suri swallows the painful lump in her throat, coughing slightly as she visibly chokes on her laughter, "I may, or may not have, informed him that his opinion was appreciated, but it would find more comfort after being reinserted back into his rectum."

"You told him he was talking out of his ass?" Evee giggles, "Oh damn! I corrupted the mind of a Vulcan."

"It's a good thing I'm only half-Vulcan then, huh?" Suri retorts, her amusement fading with a sigh, "I told him, while he may have been raised a Vulcan, I had no prior knowledge of my genetics and have been raised Human my whole life."

"Man. I can't believe it. You just met your own brother after...twenty-plus years of not knowing you had one, and you pretty much told him to go screw himself."

Suri's gaze sharpens as she meets Evee's bemused stare, "I will not insult Aunt Lanie's memories for someone I barely know. Blood-relative or not."

Another moment of silence passes over them as they move through their meal, only to be broken by Evee once again, "Oh, a fellow new Med student invited me out for drinks tomorrow night. Something about celebrating the several different ways we can die in space alone. You wanna play my wingman?"

Suri snorts, "As if you've ever needed a wingman," Seeing the pleading look in her friend's eyes, Suri nods slowly, "I suppose I can join you."

"Awesome!"

"Evee?" Hearing the hum of acknowledgment, Suri continues, "Does this new friend of yours know Starfleet operates in space?"

Evee snorts, "See, I said the same thing and he told me, 'Don't give me that crap, missy. I've heard it once, and it ain't gonna change a damn thing.' He's a bit gruff around the edges, but he's a brilliant Doctor."

"A stubborn cuss meets the aggressive shrew?"

Evee throws a broken piece of her fortune cookie at the ebony-haired woman, the two friends breaking into a stress free laughter.

* * *

Suri's Strategic Warfare class was so far one of her favorites. It was a three-day-a-week course, lasting for an hour and a half. Mondays, the instructor would lecture about certain strategies used in a conflict of resolution. Tuesdays, the instructor would break down every step of a strategy used in a combat situation, where the strategy failed, and have the class point out what went wrong, what other choice could they have made to better their outcome and how to read the signs of a similar situation occurring.

Fridays, however, were about to become her favorite lesson.

Broken up into pairs, Suri found herself introduced to Cadet Hikaru Sulu; who is on track for Helmsmen, where Strategy courses are necessary. The entire class was given a scenario and the several paired duos were expected to break down the mission, down to every detail, on how to perform the mission with the best outcome.

Scenario: You and your partner are stranded. Thin ice-shelf layered over dangerous ocean currents to the West. Steep cliff-face to the East that stretches fourty-eight-point-five kilometers along the beach. Closest point for possible warp-zone twenty-six-point-two kilometers East. Inhabitants of the planet are dangerous and known to exhibit hostile tendencies to off-world visitors. Frequent quadrant checks are made by four-manned groups, all armed with weapons. Quadrant checks issue rounds with hour-length intervals between each group. You and your partner are armed with one phaser and vibroblade each, one day food ration between both. Temperature of planet: -11.1 (C). How do you and your partner proceed?

Suri blinks. She doesn't like the scenario. Her sensitive hearing picks up various ways groups begin to approach it; forgetting the number one rule that applies in every basic tactical move. Turning to Hikaru, she leans down, causing him to do the same, and she quickly whispers her plan. Instantly, his troubled eyes brighten with vigor before both of them begin to outline every move they make. She liked Hikaru, his mind similar to her own and he seemed to carry enough daring intent to push the limitations and stretch the imagination.

After an hour of planning, groups begin to present their plan. All of the groups have _really_ good ideas, and the instructor tells them so, even when he announces they were dead.

"Grayson-Sulu."

Following Hikaru down the series of raised steps, both share a glance; Suri nodding curtly at Hikaru's disbelieving look.

"Both of you are trapped on the beach and need to get off of it within forty-five minutes. What path did you decide to take?"

Hikaru jerks his head in a manner telling her to answer, to which Suri steps forward the slightest bit before saying, "Both of us choose to climb up the cliff-face."

Quirked eyebrows and doubt fills the eyes of the other students as the instructor asks, "That is a bit reckless. Neither of you have climbing gear."

"Reckless as it may be, Sir, Hikaru and I figure the likelihood of survival with any scenario has a small chance of success. If we are going to die, we'd rather have it happen with us in the process of getting to the warp-zone the quickest."

"Quickest? You're climbing up a steep cliff-face that is elevated from the ground by at least seventeen stories."

Hikaru nods curtly, "True, Sir, but it's the point of getting to the warp-zone. Going forty-eight-point-five kilometers around would not only take longer, but would act as the more dangerous course of action. We might have record indicating a solid interval between rounds, but there is always the possibility of someone seeing us."

"Like they wouldn't see you climbing up the cliff?" a student snarks.

"Nine-out-of-ten times, a person doesn't think to look up when keeping an eye out for intruders," Hikaru replies. Suri's lips twitch slightly at Hikaru's curt response, "Besides, it is a matter of fact that the quickest way from point A to point B is a straight line. We may have to climb, but at least we wouldn't be taking the longest route, which could deplete what is left of our rations. Scaling the cliff is our best bet to ensure safety, efficiency and if need be, the best way to keep to the Prime Directive."

The instructor quirks an eyebrow, "I never said anything about this being a primitive planet."

"Sir, you never really told us _what_ kind of planet it is. Keeping out of view is the only logical stand point. Stealth is the main objective. We don't know what kind of planet we are on, only that its inhabitants are hostile, and if they are armed, they are advanced enough to cause real harm, but may not be advanced enough to break the Prime Directive. Without knowledge presented, we must do what is best for our lives, and keep to protocol," Suri argues sternly, never pausing as she deliberates her facts.

A heavy silence falls over the entire room before their instructor nods his head, "Well, I think we now know who to keep an eye out for, for the remainder of the semester." Suri shares a look with Hikaru as the instructor shakes both of their hands, "Congratulations, Cadet Grayson, Cadet Sulu. Both of you earned full marks today."

With a wide grin on her face, the inconspicuous half-breed sweeps out of her class, only to hear Hikaru calling out for her to wait. Seeing the Asian man fall in step at her side, her gaze sweeps over his physique. His body is tall, much taller than her own petite stature, and all of the lean, tight muscles along his upper-body indicates some study in a type of combat; a combat style that requires agility, swiftness and precision.

"How did you come up with scaling the cliff-side?" Hikaru asks, running his fingers through his slightly tousled black hair, brown eyes curious.

Phantom memories of being forced to scale mountain sides in order to avoid colonists all for the sake of food and supplies flashes through her mind, causing her to shake her head, "I figured everyone else was going to avoid placing stress on their bodies and try to find the easiest route. What they don't know is that the easiest route will most likely lead to a person's death. The easiest route, is the most obvious. If we are to avoid detection, one must think outside of the box in order to achieve their mission."

"I'll admit, I'd take rock climbing over walking down an open path any day," Hikaru quips, adjusting the shouldered satchel as they move through the halls.

Chuckling briefly, Suri shrugs a shoulder, "I'd do it simply because I can."

"Thrill-seeker?"

"My friend refers to it as adrenaline junkie."

Hikaru releases a bark of laughter, clapping her shoulder in a moment of camaraderie, "I think you and I will get along famously."

Knowing that this conversation would have never happened if she had never become friends with Evee, Suri allows a genuine smile to appear on her lips, her eyes softening, "I think I can live with that." Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she looks Hikaru over for a brief moment before nodding to herself, "Hey. My friend, Evee, and a fellow classmate of hers are planning to head to the bar tonight. Celebrate surviving the first week and all that," Hikaru chuckles at the dismissive wave of her hand, "Would you like to join us?"

* * *

Doctor Leonard McCoy is definitely a stubborn, gruff man, who seemed to have a habit of cursing everything in existence. Paired with Evee, Suri can see the makings of an amusing friendship form between the two. A Southern Gentleman by nature, McCoy is a handsome man, in a rustic kind of way; completely opposite of Suri's natural charisma and beauty. Hikaru had requested a rain-check, indicating that he promised to comm his sister to tell her about his first week.

Suri didn't mind of course. Watching her friend banter with someone other than herself is a refreshing sight. McCoy's use of countless Southern idioms in exchange with Evee's natural sarcastic wit leaves Suri watching the pair, a small smile tugging at her lips as she takes a sip of her Classic Long Kiss Goodnight.

"So, how did the two of ya become friends?" McCoy asks, shifting his blue gaze on her.

Evee grins, "Her aunt taught a Fine Arts class and I was intrigued, but felt slightly out of place among all of the artists. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see this single girl dragging a pencil across the paper with quick, assured strokes and became curious. I was stunned, to be honest. I had never seen such...precise detail in a sketch before. So...I began talking to her." Evee waves her hand nonchalantly, "After a few more interesting moments, we became the best of friends."

"Interesting moments?" McCoy echoes, his Southern drawl husky as he takes a sip of his bourbon.

"She threw me out of a shuttle," Suri interjects with a deadpanned tone.

"And you became friends?" The two nod, causing McCoy to shake his head at the pair, "You both are ridiculous."

Mirroring grins appear on the lips as they both echo, "We know."

As he scoffs, Suri empties her glass and stands, announcing that she was going to get herself another. Sauntering away from the duo, Suri's thoughts focus on the new addition to her ever-growing list of people that will most likely become staples in the paradigms of friendship. Then again, anyone that can match Evee's wit is good in her book.

A crash sounds from her right, snapping her out of her thoughts micro-seconds before a firm body slams into her own. Opening her mouth to tell the person to watch where they're going, Suri open glare shatters as her eyes grow wide, her annoyance shifting into blatant surprise even as words catch in her throat. Time seemed to freeze, stretching into hours as she stared. Hours that, in reality, didn't even last a second. Statistically, it shouldn't be possible.

But it is.

Sky-blue eyes stare back at her, equally wide.

"Jade?"

"Sky?"

The simultaneous, whispered gasps sound before something solid connects with the side of her head and her world plunges into darkness.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I wanted to take this moment to thank those that left reviews and have favorited/followed this story. I appreciate your words of kindness and encouragement.**

**To both 'Guest' reviewers: thank you both for your reviews.**

**Winter: Too lazy to sign in again? Thank you for your review.**

**masqueraderose3: aww...I enjoy writing this so far, and I am glad I have such a dedicated fan of my writing.**

**BIG thanks to my followers (Those that have read my work before know I call you Minions!). I'm not going to name them all, but...you know who you are. I evoke the power to get your reviews at some point...if not...challenge accepted!**

**Until Next Time!**


	4. Stormy Nights

**Chapter Three**  
_Stormy Nights_

* * *

Her world plunges into darkness.

For the briefest of moments, everything is silent, dark and empty of outside influence.

Then it all comes back, her legs fighting to catch her balance and her mind numbly aware as a blur of black leather and wheat-blonde hair lunges past her. Instinct drives her to shake off the dizziness as she turns to see the once-comrade land a blow to another man's face, awareness growing when a different man takes a swing at the enraged blonde. Her hand lashes out, fingers wrapping around the second man's wrist before she pulls back sharply. As the unknown man turns on point, the heel of her palm connects with his solar plexus just as her right leg hooks around the outside of his stance and sweeping his feet from underneath him. The solid crack goes ignored as a louder crash fills the air; her momentary companion shoving his own opponent into a nearby table, forcing drinks to spill and wood to splinter.

Chaos follows. Enraged drunks burst into belligerent fury. She is unsure of how she was pulled into this fight, but with an air of confidence she backs up Sky; as she is sure he would return the favor. While her quick jabs aim at pressure points, Sky is just as she remembered, lashing out with cold fury and heavy blows. Their styles had always been different. She strives to quickly incapacitate. Sky strives to reimburse the pain distributed by opponent. Blows are exchanged, screams fill the air and bodies hit the floor as the pair continue to defend their own.

"Police!"

The single word breaks through the haze of anger and panic sets in. The one word causes every person to spring into flight mode; racing for exits. Feeling herself pushed away with the crowd, she barely catches sight of Evee being pulled away by McCoy and Sky being shuffled in the opposite direction. Light-blue meets bright-green.

And then she's gone.

Stumbling over the frantic patrons, she catches her balance as she quickly sweeps her gaze around the alley. Tugging her jacket closer to her body, she breaks into a sprint, moving further into the alley. Normally, she'd face whatever punishment. But she had promised. Getting in trouble with the local authority will only hinder her progress at the Academy. As the distance grows further away from the bar, Suri drops into a leisure walk, estimating that if she continued to run, she'd attract more suspicion. Looking up at the night sky, she sighs. At least she knows Sky is alive. Knowing his real name, remembering the single-worded exchange of their given names had always played a singular role in her memories.

But Jim was someone everyone knew. Jim wasn't Sky. Jim was a normal, twenty-something-year-old, handsome young man. Jim was a brawler, a drinker and argumentative.

Sky was the survivor. She knew Sky, remembered Sky. Jim...Jim was known by everyone.

"Suri," the vaguely, monotonous voice pulls her from her inner musings, her eyes shifting to meet familiar brown, "It is significantly late in the hour. May I inquire as to why you are wandering around the property?"

Running her tongue along the inside of her cheek, she winces at the cut inside her mouth. Seriously. Her brother is the last person she wants to talk to after seeing Sky again. Spock wouldn't understand.

"I was out having drinks with a friend of mine," Suri answers, shrugging her shoulder slightly, "Then again, I could ask you the same, though really, it isn't that late."

"Mother informed me that I may have been to brash in our conversation and she insisted I apologize, in the chance that my words offended you."

Scoffing, she lightly kicks her foot along the ground, ignoring the stiff posture walking beside her, "That's nice."

Yes. Nice. Nice he must be informed that he was being an idiot. Nice that he is told to apologize, but has yet to do so. Nice that he believes he _actually_ offended her, when he didn't. Jesus, he really knows nothing about her.

"Something seems to bear weight to your thoughts."

"I, somehow, got pulled into a bar fight. My best friend is God only knows where. Now, to top it off, I'm currently in a bland conversation with my idiot, genius of a brother that I just met, who happens to treat me as though I am like him," A sardonic smile matches the cynical gleam in her eyes as she meets his gaze, "Yeah. Thoughts are pretty heavy."

"My presence bothers you?"

Sighing, Suri pulls herself into a complete stop, fingers running through her hair as she turns toward him, "Look, Spock, it isn't _you_ that bothers me. It's the matter of fact. You pretty much told me my area of study, something I happen to excel at, and actually enjoy doing, is a waste of my time. You have it in your Vulcan mind that I am just like you, when I'm not! I don't think, speak or act like you do. I was raised on _Earth_. I was raised by a _Human_. I have known _nothing else_. So if you want any type of familial relationship with me, then stop treating me like you would treat a Vulcan and actually _get to know me_ as I am."

The silence that follows leaves her to believe that maybe, _just maybe_, she is too stressed out by the reappearance of her past, "Sorry, Spock. I didn't mean to blow up at you, but you have to accept the facts that while we might be genetically similar, I'm not like you, and I don't think I ever will be."

"You apology is not necessary. Mother informed me that you would not carry the Vulcan philosophies and that I should approach you as if you are a...new discovery," His head tilts in the slightest fashion, eyes flickering curiously, "Mother suggested I extend an offer of a weekly meal shared between the both of us, in order to better rectify the situation."

Slightly surprised, Suri nods her head, "Yeah. I suppose we can try. Just stop trying to pigeonhole me."

"Very well. May I inquire as your reason behind being involved in a physical altercation in a public facility?"

Is he asking permission to ask a question? Is that redundant? Is this how all Vulcan's talk?

"Some guy at the bar was shoved into me, and when he was in the process of asking if I was okay, the man threw a punch and hit me in the side of the head," Suri waves her hand in a bored fashion, "Then it all kind of snowballed from there."

"Snowballed?"

"Um...spiraled out of control," she supplies.

"You carry no injuries?"

"Nothing serious," And nothing she can't handle, but he doesn't need to know that, "I'm fine, Spock," she adds, seeing the slightest gleam of concern. "I was just heading to my dorm room to get some rest."

He nods curtly, arms folded behind his back as they resume their walk, "You said you expressed interest in the Security Division."

"Yeah. My brain has always been wired to break down components, extract all unnecessary facts and focus on how to achieve a better outcome. Analysis, tactics, strategy; anything that deals with it, I can do," Suri answers, surprised he is bringing the subject up so soon after her telling him to shove it.

"What about your apparent prowess in physical combat?"

Suri swallows thickly, her gaze focusing on the approaching dormitory building, "I don't fight without reason; mostly in defense of myself or another person unable to do so on their own. I mainly focus on incapacitating my opponent as quickly as possible by blocking several neurotransmitters along the body."

Did she just talk like him? Blinking owlishly, Suri shakes her head, both pausing before the entrance doors, "Thank you for walking me back, Spock. Why don't we meet up next Sunday for lunch? Neither of us have classes."

"That is acceptable. Rest well, Suri."

"You as well."

Watching her estranged brother turn on point and stalk off, Suri wonders to herself what the hell just happened. Shaking away her thoughts, the young hybrid slips into the building.

* * *

"Oh my God! If you don't go find something to hit, I'm going to find a tall building and throw you off the roof!"

Suri didn't need any more motivation than that as the door to the room slides shut behind her, muffling her friend's irritated response. With a gym bag hoisted over her shoulder, the raven-haired woman stalks dangerously through the halls. She hadn't been able to sleep. She couldn't get rid of the pent up emotions currently clawing and scratching her from beneath her skin. She knows exactly why she is so frazzled. Seeing Sky's familiar eyes, hearing the familiar nickname, brought a flood of dreams that were anything but welcome.

Finding the Recreational Building, Suri enters a tracks down the combat training room. Some senior Security Division cadets were practicing fighting styles and techniques. Some were doing simple, quick exercises to keep in shape and push their endurance levels. Suri had no interest in any of them as she makes her way to the locker room. Changing into a pair of standard sweat pants and sports bra, she quickly wraps her knuckles in familiar tape before pushing her way back into the training area. Claiming a punching bag, she doesn't bother going through a warm up routine as she moves with quick jabs, easily bouncing on the balls of her feet; the occasional pivot along the center of her stance allowing her to perform a firm, snap kick.

She isn't sure how long she dances around the punching bag, her breathing never faltering and her movements never slowing, but she knows she's been at it for awhile; her knuckles growing sore and tender beneath the wrappings. Pushing aside her pain, she gives the bag a quick succession of jabs, putting more weight in the blows than she normally would during practice.

Because this isn't practice.

This is escape. The tenderness of her knuckles reminds her she's alive. It reminds her she survived; that she still thrives and craves the very air she breathes. It reminds her that she is no longer the confused child trapped in a world collapsing around her.

A particularly hard jabs causes the chain to snap, the bag falling to the demands of gravity; leaving Suri's tense posture standing above it, staring down with an unreadable look in her eyes. Inhaling deeply, Suri closes her eyes and slowly releases the breath; her muscles growing relaxed as the pressure in her mind fades. No one is going to hurt her. She has nothing to worry about.

A calloused hand lands on her shoulder.

Tension snaps back into place and without turning, the point of her elbow connects with the sternum behind her. Bending her knees as she moves into the person's instep, her hands grab the person by the top of their arm instead of their wrist, her fingers curling around the fabric of the shirt for purchase. Using the built up momentum she gained, and the lack of a centered balance in the other person's balance, Suri straightens from her slightly kneeling angle. Pulling at the limb, and her hip easily moving under the person's torso, she effectively pulls the person off their feet and over her shoulder. Pivoting at the last moment, she slams the person on their back; her right arm under the back of his neck, clutching high at her opposing forearm. Feeling the knuckle of her thumb dig into a painful pressure point along the side of the Human's neck, Suri lets out a long breath.

"If you wanted on top, all you had to do was ask."

Like the night before, her breath catches in her throat at the sound of his husky, teasing voice. Brilliantly light-blue eyes peer up at her; the Human pinned beneath her carrying enough insight to not tense or respond to her reaction. Something must have shown in her eyes, she muses as his cocky expression shifts into concern.

"Something's bothering you."

She doesn't insult his intelligence by denying it, and he doesn't insult her own by questioning more. Feeling a tap of fingers against her hip, she instinctively lifts off of him and after a moment of hesitation, she offers him a hand in getting off the floor. The moment he gets to his feet, her fingers go lax and slip from his hold.

Only to have his own hand twist on spot and catch her own in a gentle, but firm, grip, "Ja-" His voice cuts off, eyes taking in the surrounding cadets and the familiar expression in his eyes shutters closed, "C'mon, Suri. Let me get you a coffee or something. You look like you could use one."

Carefully pulling her hand from his grasp, she motions for him to wait a moment before she slips into the locker room. As the door shuts behind her, Suri glances down at her twitching fingers, contemplating the odd sensation she ignored moments ago. Pushing aside her thoughts, she takes a quick sonic shower and changes into her street clothes. Stepping out of the locker room, she blinks owlishly as the light-blue eyes brighten significantly, a warm smile and gleaming white teeth greeting her without hesitation.

He hasn't changed a bit.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**This chapter is dedicated to a dear friend of mine; Winterfellsfallen, who is going through some troublesome matters and seems to find my stories a worthy escape, even if it is for a moment. This is also in response to the awesome reviewers from last chapters. Seriously. You guys inspire me so much.**

**SpikeKitten: Thank you for your review. I adore all of the Star Trek crew to be honest. I'm glad you are enjoying it so far.**

**blackcat711: Aww...that's so sweet. Yes, there will be Spock/Suri moments; some heartwarming and some tension. They are siblings after all. Just wait until the Narada incident (XD)**

**TheAngelGirl357: As long as there is no marriage proposal in there somewhere, I love that you love this story, me (and my writing), and anyone that doesn't adore Star Trek should be thrown out of said shuttle. lol...I am glad I have such dedicated followers, it really is inspiring.**

**Winter: Of course Suri is going to tell Spock to screw himself. I'm not writing this from my perspective (...sort of). Suri has lived among humanity her entire life and her Aunt Lanie is the person that inspired her to embrace her differences. Having someone, even if it is her brother, tell her, her view points are nonsense is earning it.**

**All of you Minions are awesome too!**


	5. Nitro

**Chapter Four**  
_Nitro_

* * *

His eyes are as blue as she remembers. Bright, bold and full of life and determination. She doesn't remember his hair ever being as short as it is now, or as _golden_. The face once decorated with 'baby fat' had transformed; sharper edges and chiseled features displaying a more definition of masculinity. He still sits with a lazy slouch, leaning back in his chair, one arm thrown over the back as the other is nonchalantly extended, fingers casually wrapped around the mug of coffee.

Sipping her warm mocha latte, her light-green eyes sweep over his features. He isn't bothered by her calculating scrutiny, his posture never displaying any signs of discomfort at her blatant staring. He meets her gaze, expression open and welcoming before he takes in her own changes. She hasn't grown in any fashion; having peaked in her height and weight when she attended the University. She isn't sure what he is looking for, but whatever it causes him to smile.

"You haven't changed a bit."

"You have," she quips, her standard aloofness apparently welcomed as his smile turns into a grin. "Physically. You appear to have encountered a plateau in the growth of your emotional maturity."

Like he always had before, he catches the underlying teasing and lets out a husky chuckle, "I've been told worse things. I have to say, I'm surprised you enlisted."

"I could say the same for you."

He straightens in his seat, leaning over the table the slightest bit as his eyes brighten with amusement, "We had a deal. A solemn oath."

"Yet here you are," she retorts.

"I was drunk."

Blinking, the edges of her lips twitch slightly, "I wish I could say the same."

"So, why _did_ you enlist?"

Inhaling deeply, Suri launches into the story of her aunt's death and her wish for her to do something more with her life. His amusement fades, his expression softening as he nods his head slowly. He tells her about taking off after returning to Earth, unable to live under the same roof as his mother and his step-father. She tells him of her hobby in drawing and getting in touch with her biological brother; without giving him details. Opting to not tell him her brother's identity appears to be a defensive reflex; not out of shame, but out of uncertainty. She might be half-Vulcan, but she doesn't even know what that means. How can you call yourself anything, if you've never been it before? Aside from Spock, she's never met a Vulcan, and so far, it seems that being a Vulcan goes against her aunt's last request.

"So, what about your classes? I'm going to guess you're enjoying them."

She nods enthusiastically, "Of course! Logistics, tactics, you name it and I'm sold." He chuckles at her charisma, "What about yourself, Sky?" His eyes blink in response to the nickname, "What classes are you taking?"

"Ironically, I'm on Command Track."

Seeing the less than pleased look, she tilts her head, "Do you not want to be?"

"It's not about wanting. I don't know if I'm...right for it."

"Are you kidding?" His gaze snaps to her, confusion swirling within their depths, "Oh, come on, Sky. If I remember, our group wouldn't have survived without your leadership. You were a _kid_ and you took charge and continued to do during the entire two months all of us spent on the run. If _anyone_ is capable of being a leader, it's you."

Somewhere in the midst of her speech, her hand reaches across the table, patting the back of his own. Before she's even done speaking, his eyes are focused on the display of comfort.

"I don't think I could have done it without that big brain of yours," he scoffs.

Always the cynic, she muses as she shakes her head, "You remember how I was. My brain runs on logic and facts. You don't know how many times I fought against slipping out of the group and heading off on my own. It would have been easier to survive that chaos if I didn't know people, or get attached."

"If you wanted to run off, why didn't you?"

A sardonic smirk twists her lips, her head tilting as she looks at him from under her lashes, "I found myself intrigued by your reasons. I wished to satisfy my curiosity." Her teeth worry the inside of her cheek briefly, "Why did you _really_ enlist, Sky?"

"I'm tired of living in the shadow of George Kirk's greatness and told Captain Pike that I wasn't going to do _as_ great as him. I will do better. Hey," She quirks an eyebrow at the address, "Why do you keep calling me Sky? I'm not that kid anymore."

"Sky will always be a part of you. Sky is all I know of you. I haven't had the pleasure of getting to know Jim Kirk," His eyes darken with an unreadable expression, "Yet."

The word she adds at the last minute causes the darkness to fade from his eyes, "Yet?"

"Unless you consider this a one-time thing, I theorized we will be seeing more of each other over the next few years."

The answering smile of relief causes her expression to soften.

Yes. It will be nice having time to get to know her old friend again.

"C'mon," He states, moving to his feet, swiping a credit chip along the edge of the table, "I have a meeting with Bones in a half an hour. I'll walk you back to the dorms."

Following him out of the coffee house, Suri shakes her head, nudging her friend's shoulder, "You go on ahead. Thank you, Sky."

"When are you going to call me Jim?"

"I will call you Jim when you start acting like Jim," she teases as she saunters off, waving dismissively at him over her shoulder.

* * *

Emila Victoria Hayes is known to throwing herself into her work. It doesn't matter what she is doing, but getting pulled into her life at the Starfleet Academy, Evee found herself going toe-to-toe with Doctor Leonard McCoy. Not that this observation is a bad thing; she likes when a person is unwilling to roll over and take things as they are. A month into her life at the Academy, and Evee finds herself feeling like she actually belongs here.

The downside to all of this: she hardly sees Suri. Outside of their shared early-evening dinners, the two haven't had time. With Evee doing rounds in the Med Center and sometimes going out for drinks with Doctor McCoy and his friend, Cadet Kirk, Evee hasn't found time. It doesn't help that Suri is pulling duel-majors; the half-breed having grown fond of some of the tech classes Engineering has to offer.

So, Evee is surprised when she is pulled out of one of her heated, but friendly, debates with McCoy by a familiar calm voice. Seeing the ebony-haired half-breed standing in the Med Center, Evee's eyes widen; taking in the slightest hint of discomfort in her friend's body language. McCoy demands to know why she is in the Med Center without necessary need, causing her green-eyed friend to smile tightly.

"Evee is supposed to escort me to the game today."

"Game? What game?" McCoy turns his demanding gaze on the female doctor, "What is she talking about?"

"The Nitro game," Suri answers, completely unfazed by McCoy's demeanor, "Jackson came to me last week, said one of his team members suffered an injury in the Engineering department. Evee is supposed to accompany me as my on-sight medic."

"You can't get anyone else?" McCoy demands, eyes narrowed.

"I would trust no one else," Suri responds just as evasively, her attention turning on Evee, "Jackson was one of my students last year. He all but insisted I play."

"Those games are dangerous."

Suri offers McCoy's comment an almost lazy grin as she nods, "Hence the need for an on-sight medic."

Evee shakes her head in dismay, nudging McCoy, "C'mon, McCoy. You can join us if you want."

"There is nothing on this planet that could get me to assist one of those games."

* * *

"Reminds me why I'm here again."

Evee chuckles at McCoy's muttered curses as her eyes watch the Nitro Arena as the contestants step onto the G-Force stands. Immediately her gaze settles on Suri, clad in the synthetic body-suit, her hands covered in special gloves. The Nitro games are known for their dangerous intent; two groups of four within an anti-gravity dome, dodging and rebounding lead spheres moving faster than the speed of sound while trying to knock their opponents unconscious. It is a game where instinct, dexterity and analytic skills are put to the test.

As the dome encloses over the two groups, the anti-gravity field projects the contestants into the air. Evee's gaze follows Suri's figure as she latches onto one of the handles along the octagonal-shaped panels that make up the dome walls, her feet planted firmly against the wall. As the signal sounds, the spheres are shot into the dome through chutes and chaos follows as contestants launch themselves away from their perch. Suri is quick to move in between opposite walls, kicking off with timed precision as she builds up momentum.

The G-Force glove covering Suri's hand allows the half-breed to catch a sphere, her body twisting in mid-air, sharpened gaze keeping an eye out for an opposing contestant. Without breaking her stride and using the momentum in her movements, Suri launches the sphere toward a distracted opponent, forcing the player's body to slam into the dome wall. Evee winces as the crowd gives groans of sympathy as the player is rendered unconscious as his head hits the wall.

"Why do you allow her to do this?" McCoy asks, leaning in close due to the loud volume of the crowd around them, his own eyes watching Suri evade a sphere while using an opponents torso to launch herself in the opposite direction, "She could be seriously injured."

"I don't know what it is about Suri that makes her..._desire_ these kinds of activities. I think something happened before we became friends, but...Suri said that these activities remind her what it means to be human. To feel the rush of fear, victory, excitement and pain. When life becomes complacent and redundant, Suri begins to feel empty, or when there is too much going on she hits the gym and destroys a punching bag. It helps her cope with feeling empty."

Evee glances away from seeing her friend take a sphere to the shoulder, Suri's movements not even hindered as she adjusts her body with the blow and launches a sphere of her own at her attacker, "It scares me sometimes, how she is so ready to launch herself into a dangerous situation, but...Suri is smart. She never goes into something without thinking it through." Sharing a small smile with McCoy, Evee shrugs, "Sometimes, I'll join her in a space jump, or we'll go rock climbing, or cliff-diving, but she refuses to allow me to join her in activities like this."

"You're an enabler," McCoy accuses, a teasing tilt appearing underneath the gruff reprehend.

Giggling softly, the blonde bobs her head as her eyes follow Suri and the Jackson-boy grasp each other arms, Jackson's body twisting in mid-air and his upper body strength allowing him to launch Suri straight at one of the two remaining opponents, "Maybe I am, but Suri is...family. My parents divorced when I was a kid and I was forced to bounce between the two frequently," Evee tries to ignore the shudder of emotions in McCoy's eyes as she pauses, "It wasn't easy and I hated feeling like I was being forced to choose between the two. So, I never really had any close friend until Suri, and...at first I wasn't sure she even wanted me around."

"What happened? What made two people, so different, become close friends?"

Evee sighs, rubbing the back of her neck as she winces when Suri takes a sphere to the torso, "It really wasn't anything special that brought us together. Her aunt was a bit of a philanthropist in our community and I knew the woman well. Suri and I met in one of Lanie's art classes and it just...grew from there. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of Suri; I had never met anyone like her before, but...then I came to understand her better. She didn't have it easy from what I know, and sometimes she suffers from flashbacks, but sometimes I wonder if she has a better understanding of humanity than the rest of us."

"What do ya mean?"

Evee smiles, thinking about Suri's odd personality, "She's so tactical minded that she views life as one big obstacle course, but she watches people so much that she understands us better than we do ourselves. The only time I've seen her cry was when Lanie died, and even then, her mind was focused on facts presented to her. She has her own, odd display of compassion, and when being a doctor becomes too much for me, she sets me straight." Evee's eyes darken with sorrow, "There was a time where I lost one of the children I was tending to in the ward. I was beginning to question why I bothered, but she was there, giving me facts of the people I've saved and the point that even when a person has one-percent chance of surviving, I still refuse to give up. She...inspires me to be more, to be better."

As the Nitro game comes down to a two-to-one match, McCoy shakes his head at the sight of Suri and the Jackson kid both launching themselves straight toward their remaining opponent, "Well, remind me to never make friends with an adrenaline junkie. Jim is enough of one."

Sharing a small laugh with McCoy, Evee nods, "Sometimes she drives me up a wall and I threaten to throw her off the roof of a tall building, or out of a shuttle, but I wouldn't trade her for the world."

"Does she return the sentiment?"

Grinning, Evee flashes him a coy expression, "Suri's loyalty knows no bounds. She'd throw herself in front of deadly force to protect a friend."

As the the last opponent is caught in Suri's grasp, Evee and McCoy both wince as Suri kicks off from the top of the dome, slamming both herself and her opponent into the ground below, "Remind me to never get on her bad side."

* * *

"Well done, Jackson. I'm pleased to see you have excelled in your training," Suri comments as she falls in step with the auburn-haired cadet.

"Shit. I've got nothin' on you, Teach."

Smiling, Suri wipes away the green blood from her lip, "I have to go see Evee before she attacks me with that damn tricorder of hers. Take care of yourself, kid."

Suri parts ways with the younger cadet, and as she steps into the locker room, she barely gets a chance to unzip the synthetic suit and remove her gloves when a hypo is stabbed into the side of her neck.

"Damn it, E-" Seeing McCoy's stern gaze, Suri rubs the tender injection spot as her friend's companion steps away, "Are all Medical Students annoying? Or do I just end up attracting the stereotype?"

Evee's laughter rings through the locker room as McCoy throws the useless, empty hypo at her. Hearing her friend's laughter, Suri smiles, wondering if maybe coming to the Academy was a good idea after all.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Alright, so the next chapter or two will skim over the next three years, surrounding the growth of friendships developed by Suri and Evee respectively. Suri's chapter will go into the growth in her friendship with Jim, while showing you the growing differences and tension in her sibling-building with Spock (not all goes well). Evee's will show more development and depth in her compassion as well as her becoming 'just friends' with McCoy.**

**Onto my reviewers!**

**T'Sara: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it so much!**

**Zaika: Thank you.**

**Winter: Dude, I've known Catholics that hate Catholic Mass for the aerobics they are subjected to. XD. And I'm glad you are enjoying the story love.**

**Guest (1): Thank you so much.**

**Guest (2): I'm glad you love it so much.**

**SpikeKitten: Thanks. Suri and Spock will definitely have tension in their growing relationship, especially during the Narada incident. You will probably witness Suri telling him to shove it frequently, but that's only because she takes offense to being treated like she's a Vulcan when she's never _been_ a Vulcan.**

**To my twenty-or-something Minions:**

**Thanks to all of you. I am pleased with the growing success of this story.**

**Until Next Time!**


	6. Growth and Tension

**Chapter Five**  
_Growth and Tension_

* * *

"Doctor Hayes, Emila V. assigned to the _U.S.S. Enterprise_."

The words play over and over again as Evee boards one of the several shuttles heading for the ship. Looking down at hands, Evee finds it hard to believe three years have passed. Three long years of tedious hospital rounds and xenobiology classes. Three years of building a bond with her fellow cadet, Doctor McCoy, while simultaneously giving Suri room to grow in her own.

It wasn't easy at first.

_"I thought you swore it would only be one Nitro game."_

_Suri's passive gaze met her own, annoyance flickering in the depths, "I know you worry about me, but I_ _**like** competing. It's a rush unlike any other."_

_"Yeah? And what does Kirk think about all this?" Evee demanded, knowing that if there is one person that is more protective of Suri than herself, it's Jim Kirk._

_Suri scratches the side of her neck, "While I'm not sure why it matters what he thinks about this, you might actually have trouble convincing him otherwise."_

_"Convincing him of what?"_

_"Damn it, Jim!"_

_Evee's attention turns toward the familiar Southern drawl, only to see Kirk entering the locker room, decked in a full synthetic suit and special gloves. McCoy followed close at Kirk's heels, snarling even as the blonde cadet grins broadly at Suri. Glaring at the cadet, Evee is surprised when Kirk meets her gaze and winks before giving a pointed look in Suri's direction._

_Kirk wasn't there to compete. Kirk was there to keep an eye on Suri. Inhaling deeply, Evee granted Kirk a subtle nod._

That had been the beginning. When Evee couldn't control her friend's need to pull a dangerous stunt, Kirk was there, along for the ride; if not for his own excitement, then to keep a protective stance by Suri's side.

It wasn't the only thing that changed. McCoy had become her close friend, just behind Suri, and even though things are going well, Evee can't help but notice the odd shift in the dynamic between her and McCoy. It started a year and have ago. The day a pretty, brown-haired girl with wide hazel eyes came into the Med Center.

_"Excuse me, Miss."_

_The small, child's voice pulled Evee from her microscope, her gaze turning to the small child shifting nervously from one foot to the other. Instantaneously, a warm smile spreads across Evee's lips as she steps out of the chair and kneels before the girl._

_"What can I help you with, sweetheart?"_

_"I'm here to surprise my Daddy, but one of the nurses told me kids aren't supposed to play in the Med Center. I...snuck in and hid in here. I didn't know someone was in here."_

_The sheer bashful display before her causes Evee to let out a small laugh, "Don't worry about it. You can hide out here. My name is Evee."_

_"Joanna. Are you a doctor too?"_

_Evee nods, patting one of the spinning chairs, "I am. I used to be a pediatrics doctor, worked with children all the time. Now, tell me what you want to be when you grow up."_

_Evee listens as the child goes on about being a ballerina and how she's been taking classes for a year. Joanna even begins to show Evee her part in the dance recital, twirling and pivoting around the open space. A brilliant smile forms on Evee's lips, eyes softening exponentially as she watches the brown-haired girl dance around the room, her hair billowing out as she spins on the tip of her toe._

_"Ta da!"_

_Evee grins, clapping her hands, "That was brilliant, Joanna. I could never be as graceful as you."_

_"But you're so pretty."_

_Evee smiles coyly at the girl, "Maybe, but my beauty doesn't compare to yours."_

_The girl giggles, a pretty blush spreading across her cheek, her gaze turning to the ground, "My Mama doesn't think I'll make it. She wants me to better my academics, says there's no future in dancing."_

_Evee's teeth clench together, a tick appearing along her jaw as she reigns in her annoyance toward the unknown woman, her eyes falling on to saddened child, "Now you listen to me, sweetheart. If I had talent like yours, I'd trade in my doctor's coat for a tutu any day," The girl sniffles, giggling softly as Evee taps her on the nose, "Don't let anyone, even your mother or father, tell you, you can't do something. If I listened to either of my parents, I'd be a lawyer or some kind of businesswoman instead of a doctor. And even if your mother doesn't approve, I'm sure your daddy would be proud in anything you do."_

_"She has a point," a familiar gruff Southern drawl cuts in, causing both to break out of their conversation._

_"Daddy!" Joanna squeals, becoming a whirlwind of brown curls as she leaps at her father, wrapping herself around him._

_Evee smiles, trying to ignore the heat spreading across her cheeks at the sight of McCoy's unreadable expression aimed at her over his daughter's shoulder._

Evee never knew the extent of the situation between the McCoy and his ex-wife. They never talked about it, but it explained McCoy's need for alcohol and his need to pile project on himself. Evee knows enough to know his ex-wife is bitter, angry that McCoy busied himself with work to try and support their family; which put a strain on their relationship until divorce was inevitable.

All she did know was meeting Joanna changed something in McCoy's disposition toward her. Something she could never put her finger on. He wasn't as gruff with her; showing the underlying Southern Gentleman buried beneath the stubborn cuss that he is.

She did know that her time at the Academy had gone smoother than Suri's.

* * *

"Grayson, Suri assigned to the _U.S.S. Enterprise_."

Sharing a small smile with Jackson, the ebony-haired half-breed follows the auburn-haired man toward the shuttle that would transport them to the _Enterprise._ She ignores the familiar jolt as her shoulder brushing against Spock's in passing, the estranged siblings having found their budding relationship strained over the last few years.

The tension started during her first Winter break.

_The nervous tension along her body couldn't seem to settle. The shuttle port was teaming with people coming to and fro, relatives visiting relatives. Suri was never comfortable around large crowds of people. Her gaze skims over the various gates before noticing Spock standing, always so prim and proper. Inhaling deeply, Suri steels herself before weaving her way around crowds of people, stopping at a stand still next to Spock._

_"You are late," Suri rolls her eyes, squaring her shoulders, "You were supposed to arrive fourteen-point-seven minutes ago."_

_Ignoring the dull pain along her ribs from her recent Nitro tournament, Suri scoffs, "Oh yes! Heaven forbid someone can't control traffic or the fact that it seems like people don't know how to walk and insist on stopping in a large group, successfully blocking my path. Tell me, oh observant one, has their shuttle even come into port yet?"_

_"That is a negative."_

_"Then me just arriving now isn't that big of a deal."_

_There is a pause, Suri ignoring the stare burning into the side of her head as she feels a sudden change in disposition in her estranged brother, "You seem to have contracted a contusion of some kind along the side of your head."_

_"Brilliant deduction," Suri deadpans, "You do know that most people, instead of pointing out the obvious, tend to ask if one is alright."_

_Spock's eyebrow twitches, but his response is cut of by a woman's voice calling his name. Suri observes in silence as a middle-aged woman envelopes the stiff form of her brother, her hazel-green eyes looking upon Spock with warmth and unconditional love. So, this is her mother. Suri tries not to feel any sort of resentment, her own fingers smoothing her bangs over her ears out of habit. The woman is petite, almost delicate, showing her where most of her genetics came from._

_"Suri? Is that really you?"_

_Feeling the words catch in her throat, Suri straightens her posture and nods stiffly. The woman stands a foot away from her, the close distance causing the hair along the back of Suri's neck to stand on end. Only so many people can breech her comfort zone, and while this woman might be her biological mother; she is also just a stranger. Unable to hide the reflexive twitch of her facial muscles as soft fingers brush along the discoloration on the side of her head, Suri feels a small swell of guilt at the hurt that flickers in the woman's gaze._

_"Are you alright? Who did this to you?"_

_"I'm more than alright," Suri responds, finding her voice, "I was injured during one of my competitions."_

_"Competitions?" the concern in the woman's voice makes Suri shift in her posture, "What competitions? What area of study are you in?"_

_"I just finished my first semester. I'm on the Advanced Track for the Security Division. And by competition, I compete in Nitro tournaments."_

_"Nitro! Spock! Why would you allow your sister to do this?"_

_Suri blinks, trying to reign in her annoyance as Spock stiffens at the tone, the Starfleet Instructor replying, "I was unaware of Suri's involvement."_

_"As if I would stop competing just because he tells me to," Suri tacks on, earning both sets of stern gazes on her, "What? I **like** competing. I'm good at it. If I wasn't aiming to join Starfleet, I'd make a career out of it. Jackson, Adams, Sky and I are an unbeatable force."_

Suri blinks out of her memory as the shuttle rocks gently as they break through the atmosphere. So, the first meeting with her biological mother didn't go smoothly, but a timid relationship formed between them. Spock still pushed her buttons. He always carried the same expectations of her that most people expect of him. Sometimes, she wonders if he even realizes he's only _half_ Vulcan. Every time they manage to take a step closer, Spock reminds her why she is thankful their weekly dinners are only once a week.

_"I am not sure Mother and Father would approve of you hanging around this...Sky you speak so much of."_

_"Now you're trying to tell me who I can and can't be around?"_

_"You seem to get into a lot of trouble with this particular companion."_

_Suri shoots from her chair, palms flat against the table, "Don't patronize me! He's a **friend** not a damn companion! You wouldn't know friendship if it bit you in the ass. My God, for someone so damn smart, you are so fucking socially inept that it is a wonder people let you teach."_

_"There is no need for vulgarities."_

_"Yeah? Well, fuck you! No one has told me how to live my life before and it sure as hell won't start with **you**. Brother, or no brother, you still can't seem to understand that **I am not like you!"**_

A smirk tugs at her lips. Her brother was dreadfully blind to everything outside of logic. What ever happened to thinking outside of the box? Jim didn't seem to have a problem with it.

_"I take it you failed?"_

_Her eyes skim over the blonde head bowed, his forehead resting against the bar table, "I don't get it. Where's the instinct? Where's the flying by the seat of your pants?" Blue eyes turn to meet her own, "I can think of twenty different ways of beating the test, so why is it not working?"_

_"Because it's a computer, Sky. It's a simulation that is programmed to think, respond and act to all logical bases. It doesn't take into account anything that isn't dictated by logic."_

_"And when logic fails? Then what? We're supposed to just sit there and let people die? Logic will only help so much."_

_Suri grins, nodding in agreement, "I know. Believe me, I understand. Logic might tell the computer that there is only one percent chance that your path will succeed, but it doesn't take into account that one percent is all a human being needs in order to stir things up; change the outcome."_

_Suri barely gets a chance to put her drink down when a pair of hands softly cup the side of her cheek, bringing her gaze to the wide, triumphant blue eyes and broad grin, "Jade! You are a fucking genius."_

_Her faces heats up, the tips of her pointed ears tingling as an odd sensation fills her, "Of course I am," She shoves his hands away from her face, "But what am I a genius of now."_

_"All I gotta do, is change the outcome."_

_Suri's eyes widen at the manic grin flashed in her direction, "Sky! This is a-"_

_"Later! I have a simulation to beat!"_

_As the blonde-haired cadet sprints out of the bar, Suri sighs, rubbing her cheek, "Bad idea."_

Oh, it had been a bad idea, but seeing the look on Spock's face had been priceless.

"Oi, Teach," Suri flicks a friendly glare in Jackson's direction, "Let get to our posts. We have a planet to save."

Right. Vulcan is in trouble, and for the first time in three years, Suri managed to see a fraction of frantic tension in her brother's gaze. Humans may not see it, but she isn't known for being observant for nothing.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Next Chapter: Suri is volunteered to do a Space Jump, Evee loses her freaking mind and Vulcan is on the brink of destruction.**

**Winter: Thanks, luv! I hope you enjoy this one.**

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967: I'm glad you like it. Thank you for reviewing.**

**Lordoftheringschick2000: Thank you. Thank you.**

**I do promise that there will be some more flashbacks in the next chapter.**

**Read! Review! Minions! You all are awesome too!**


	7. Free Fall

**Chapter Six**  
_Free Fall_

* * *

Suri isn't quite sure how she ended up in this situation. Not that she wouldn't have volunteered, but it seemed just a few minutes ago she had settled herself at her station when the _Enterprise_ rocked; red klaxons blaring through the ship. Aware of her multitude of minor credentials under her belt, her commander ordered her down to engineering to see if they were in need of help. Breaking into a dead sprint, occasionally slamming into one of the side panels, she caught a lift just before realizing she wasn't the only person occupying it.

"Suri!"

Hearing two familiar voices shout in recognition, Suri blinks at the sight of Hikaru and Sky flanking Captain Christopher Pike, "Uh...hey guys. S-" Choking on the habitual nickname, Suri smiles weakly, "Jim, what are you doing on board? I thought you were grounded?"

"It's a long story and I'm just getting over the after affects," the golden-haired _suspended_ cadet replies, rubbing the side of his neck.

Suri nods, looking over at Hikaru, she offers him a small smile, "I thought you were a Helmsman? What are you doing with this delinquent?"

Hikaru chuckles, ignoring the affronted shout from Sky, "Apparently helping Captain Pike take out the drill."

Something sparks in Jim's eyes, "Hey! Captain Pike, Suri should come with us."

"Oh? And why should I agree to have Cadet..."

Suri's eyebrow twitches in annoyance, "Grayson, Sir."

Awareness fills the Captain's gaze, "Cadet Grayson to come with you?"

"Are you kidding?" Both Hikaru and Sky echo, Hikaru chuckling as he continues, "Sir, Suri is one of the top students on the Advanced Track for the Security Division in her year."

"And Cadet Grayson isn't going to have a problem with Space Jumping?"

Captain Pike seems surprised at the broad grin that stretches across Suri's lips, her eyes brightening with excitement, "You had me at 'jump', Sir."

Somewhat amused by the female cadet, Captain Pike nods curtly, "Very well. One more volunteer can't hurt."

Suri grins, sharing a look with Sky, who mirrors her expression. Despite the dire circumstances, it seems that both Hikaru and Sky know she's looking forward to doing something crazy.

* * *

"She's doing **what?!**"

Evee ignores the sudden spark of fear in the fresh patients in the Med Bay, her dark blue eyes burning with sheer anger as she glares at McCoy. The gruff Southerner shakes his head, sighing as he runs a hand through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck. Reaching out, McCoy grips the nearly hysterical blonde by her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Look, I understand. Jim is going down there too and when he gets back I'm going to wring his scrawny neck. The Chief took a hit and I have his responsibilities now. I _need_ you to focus and work with me."

Seeing the pleading gleam beneath his determined eyes, Evee inhales deeply, reeling in her terror for her best friend, she nods, "Alright, McCoy. Let's get to work."

* * *

Listening to Pike's instructions, Suri inhales deeply as she pulls the helmet over her head, "Evee is going to kill me."

"Evee?" Suri's eyebrow quirks as she glances over at Sky, "As in Doctor Hayes?"

"Yes. I take it you've met her?" Suri asks.

"She works with my friend Bones," Suri's eyebrows crinkle with confusion, causing him to smile roguishly, "McCoy. How long have you been friends with Hayes?"

"Met her a year after I returned to Earth."

His eyes darken briefly, but Hikaru leans over in his seat, "Returned to Earth?"

"I attended a University on an off-planet colony," she responds curtly, reaching up to grab the bar above her head at Pike's call, "Well boys, let's go kick some Romulan ass."

Seeing the grins flashed in response, she barely grants them her own when the hull opens, her back slamming against the wall from the pressure. A split second passes before she finds herself shot out of the shuttle, Sky, Hikaru and Olsen. With the guys shouting out the distances, Suri feels a broad grin stretch across her lips as feels the harsh air breeze past her. Twisting on point, Suri giggles to herself as the world spins on point. This was freedom. Her heart raced. Her blood runs hot. Everything faded; her thoughts, the strained tension of being on the same ship with her estranged brother.

"Pull your chute!"

Reacting instinctively, Suri reaches up and pulls the cord, the braces along her suit jerking as the chute catches her descent. Manipulating the lines, her sharpened gaze takes in the base of the drill is the second to land; just behind Sky. Pressing the button on her chest, the chute contracts, sliding back into the pouch along her back. Hearing a hoarse battle cry, her attention turns toward the sight of Sky engaging in a fight with a Romulan. Hearing the slightest hint of a blade being removed from its sheath, Suri ducks down, her hands planting against the base of the drill. Feeling the blow sweep over her head, her leg snaps back and instantly connects with the torso of the Romulan behind her. Moving to her feet and shifting into a fighting stance within the time it takes for the Romulan to catch his balance, Suri's training kicks in and instinct drives her as she meets the Romulan head on.

Ducking under the swipe of the blade, Suri's tactical mind flashes through Romulan anatomy just as her fists lash out; sharp, quick jabs connecting with solid blows. Like Vulcan physiology, Romulans are three times stronger than the average Human, and their threshold for pain is significantly higher as well. Weaving around, she tenses up her muscles more, giving more strength behind her blows; her movements reminiscent of an irritated viper. Hissing as the blade manages to swipe deeply along the back of her shoulders; she winces at the sound of the chute compartment cracking. The blow forces her to stumble forward, and she manages to pivot on point, dipping backwards as the Romulan sword swipes where her head had previously been.

"Suri!"

Biting down on the inside of her cheek as the blade catches her side, ripping through the fabric of her jumpsuit and slicing along the top layers of flesh, Suri steps toward the Romulan. Wrapping her arm around his extended limb, she clamps down and turns, ignoring the sickening snap of bone; green blood coating her hands as white marrow pierces through his forearm. As the hold on the sword loosens, Suri curls her fingers around the handle, quickly changing up her grip before she brings the point of the blade backwards. A choked gasp sounds, a fresh bout of blood coating the back of her suit as she removes the blade. Stumbling forward, she pivots once more and slams her boot-clad foot flat against the fresh wound.

"Olsen had the chargers!"

"I know!"

"What do we do?"

Suri swallows back the dark spots dancing along the side of her vision, her hand pressing against her side as she watches Sky pick up two blasters, tossing one to Hikaru. Hearing the blasters go off, Suri turns her attention to the desert planet several meters below. She had never had a chance to come to Vulcan. She never really did well in heated climates; Sky could attest to that. The sound of something breaking the sound barrier and shooting down into the atmosphere pulls her from her thoughts; jade eyes following the object as it descends. Glancing back as Sky contacts the _Enterprise_, Suri fights to gain her baring as the drill rumbles beneath her feet and a flash of gold from her right causes her hand to immediately shoot out.

"Suri!" Hikaru's voice shouts in relief as she catches him by her forearm.

Feeling the drill shift again, Suri reacts on instinct and uses her superior strength to yank him toward her, forcing the both of them to switch places.

"Damn, girl. You're going to give me a heart att-"

Falling.

The drill shudders once more, causing her misplaced balance to fail, sending her tumbling over the edge. Pulling at the cord to her chute, she jerks when it refuses to disengage; reminding her about the damn Romulan's sword. Accepting her fate, she slides her eyes shut, visualizing the only place she could ever call home.

"Suri!"

As another body crashes into her in mid air, Suri bites back the urge to voice her pain as the wound along her side tears open more. Arms wrap around her and through the dizzy haze, she barely makes sense of Sky urging him to pull his chute. Seeing the previously damaged chute snap completely off its chain, she tries not to think about the inevitable; even as Sky yells into the comm for the _Enterprise_ to beam them up. Seeing the bright blue gaze widen, eyes focused behind her, Suri allows a small smile to form on her lips, having already accepted the outcome.

She didn't expect the swirl of white lights.

Or to land solidly on her back, the warp pad beneath her.

Blinking wearily, Suri offers a weak smile at the blonde cadet kneeling over her body. Slowly, the bright blue eyes shift from relieved to confused.

"Suri?"

"Clear the pad."

"What? You're going down there? Spock that's insane."

Sky helps her to her feet, pulling her away from the pad as he argues with Spock. Seeing the pointed look from Spock, Suri nods weakly. Boy, is she tired. Closing her eyes, she inhales deeply, feeling the pain along her side grow numb as her awareness fades into nothing.

* * *

"Suri?"

Awareness slowly trickles into being as Suri's light-green eyes blink open. Turning her gaze from the ceiling to the familiar blonde doctor standing at her bedside, tricorder in hand, Suri inhales deeply. Wincing at the sterilized air, she offers her friend a small smile.

"Hey, E-"

**Smack!**

"Oi, woman! I'm already injured."

Suri rubs her cheek, glaring at the frowning doctor. Before anything else can be said, Suri finds herself caught within the relieved embrace. Relaxing, Suri allows the hug to last for a moment longer than necessary before carefully pushing her friend out of her personal space. Looking around the Med Bay, she witnesses various Vulcans being looked over.

"What happened?"

"Vulcan..." Evee shifts on her feet, "Suri, Vulcan is gone." Suri nods, unsure of what to make of the home planet that was never really her home as she swings her legs over the side of the bio-bed, "Suri...there's something else."

Hearing the familiar tone, Suri sighs, "Something tells me this will be unpleasant."

* * *

Stepping out of the Med Bay, Suri moves through the mournfully silent corridors of the _Enterprise_. How was she supposed to react? The numb feeling in her chest growing tighter as she aimlessly wanders down the hall. Would she have to talk about it? With who? She doubt Spock would understand, and she barely knows Sarek; her father. Who could understand?

"Jade," A familiar hand falls on her shoulder and she freezes in her steps, not even looking back to gaze upon the one that intruded on her thoughts, "I'm glad you're alright."

"I am fine."

"Good. Because, I gotta ask you something." She nods slowly, "Why are your ears pointed? And your blood green?"

Could this day get any worse?

"I'm Vulcan."

The curt reply is met with silence; only a brief silence, "How come you never told me?"

Finally gracing him with a side glance as he falls into step with her, she inhales deeply, "Because I've never known Vulcan, or how to be one. I was raised on Earth. I was raised by a Human. Why should I speak of a heritage I know nothing about?"

"Y-You know I don't have a problem with that, right? You know, you being...not Human."

Suri nods, offering him a small smile, "The thought never crossed my mind."

"The ears are kinda cute on you," he teases, flashing her a returning grin. A warmth spreads across the apples of her cheeks and the tips of her ears, "Are you blushing? Oh, don't tell me all those times I thought you were 'green around the gills' sick, you were _actually_ blushing."

"Sky?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

The answering laugh earns a grin as she glances at her friend once more.

She may not have Vulcan, but she still had Earth.

And damn it to Hell if she isn't going to do everything she can to stop the _Narada_.

"Hey, Jade?" She hums in acknowledgment. "Why did Hayes refer to us as 'Twenty pounds of crazy shoved into a five pound bag'?"

Suri doesn't bother holding back the answering laugh. Maybe, for right now, she doesn't have to talk about it. Maybe, she need to have a small leap of faith in her friend.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Alright. A little shorter than the other chapters, but...the next chapter will have the big Kirk/Spock confrontation (or at least the first one), followed by the anticipated confrontation between Suri/Spock.**

**Next Chapter: Delta Vega! What do you guys think should happen? Will Suri find herself marooned on Delta Vega with Jim? **

**To My Three Reviewers from Last Chapter: _Winter, Crystal, Dances: Thank you! You guys are awesome too!_**

**MINIONS: 30**

**Yeah...you guys are awesome too!**

**Leave a review. Let me know what you guys want to happen next chapter!**


	8. Cold Shouldered

**Chapter Seven**  
_Cold Shouldered_

* * *

Somber green eyes stare down at the warp pad, Suri welcoming the silence of the room. Sky had gone to the bridge as the crew try to figure out what path to take, leaving the half-breed to her thoughts.

_"Suri. Your mother didn't make it off planet. I'm sorry. Truly, I am."_

Inhaling deeply, she centers her thoughts, trying to keep herself from collapsing inward. She didn't have the strongest relationship with her mother, it was nowhere near her bond with Lanie; but the woman had still been her mother. She never understood why she had been sent away, but if growing up on Vulcan meant she would have turned out to be like Spock, she is thankful for it. Why had she been so easily given away; dismissed because of her Human traits?

"Suri?"

Sarek. Her father. Seeing his taller form come to a stand still at her side, Suri bows her head.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she murmurs, her tone gentle despite her sorrow.

"Your condolences are welcomed and returned, my child."

Suri's fingers curl together, hands clenching into fists, "Why?" Her calm voice cracks with emotion, "Why do I always lose those that mean too much? Losing Aunt Lanie was hard enough, but..._her_ too?" Clenching at the red shirt of her uniform, Suri's eyes shut tightly, "Why must it hurt so much?"

"Vulcan philosophies allow us to cope with our emotions; allow us to control them so they do not control us."

Suri whirls around, tears welling up in her eyes as her piercing gaze glares at the man, "For the last time, _I am not Vulcan!_ I didn't even know my origins until three years ago! Don't _talk_ to me like I am _him_."

"Spock suffers just as much as you, if not more."

"Good for him. Maybe he'll learn what it means to be _half-Human_."

"You must calm yourself, my child. Your anger is clouding your judgment. You are taking your bitterness out on your family."

A low growl rumbles in her chest, her jaw clenched as she fights the urge to sock the man in the jaw, "You people are _not_ my family! You were never there. You never called. You never wrote. Nothing from any of you until _after_ I lost the only mother I knew. You weren't there when I suffered. You weren't there when I made achievements. _You were **never**__ there_!" The tears manages to escape, trailing down her cheeks as her body shudders, "Why was I so easily cast aside? Why was I not good enough for any of you?"

"Sending you to your aunt's was the logical choice, Suri."

Swiping at the tears on her face, Suri takes a step back, shaking her head as a cynical chuckle escapes her lips, "If _that's_ what it means to be Vulcan, then all of you are welcome to it. I'd rather be Human."

Not bothering to wait on a response, Suri turns on her heel and stalks out of the room. She needed to find Evee, or Sky, or someone who can take her mind off of this.

* * *

"Get him off this ship."

Suri pauses at the lift, watching the security team drag the unconscious blonde cadet along the ground.

"Where are you sending him, _Captain_?" Suri snarks, pulling everyone's attention on her.

"Suri-" The dark-haired woman cuts Evee off with a raised hand, Suri's glare pinned on her brother.

"Cadet Kirk was posing a threat to the safety and morale of the ship and its people. He will be sent off to a nearby Federation planet."

"Then you better fix him a pod that fits two people," Suri retorts swiftly.

Spock's eyebrows pinch together in the slightest hint of irritation, "You are not being ordered off this ship, and you are close to insubordination, Cadet."

"Good for you, _Captain_," Suri shoots back, "If you want, I can be even more insubordinate by telling you that you are going against Starfleet Code-"

"Cadet Kirk was acting out of turn, Cadet," Suri tenses at the feminine voice that cuts her off, whirling around on the dark-skinned beauty that speaks up, "His actions would only hinder any progress."

"I don't remember addressing you, Lieutenant. I was speaking to the _Captain_. Despite Jim's actions, Spock is going against regulat-"

"Yes, because Kirk is one that goes by the books."

Suri's shoulders tighten, her stances squaring off as she completely faces the woman. Feeling Evee's hand rest on her shoulder, Suri knows her friend is aware of the edge she is dancing along, but it can't be helped. It is one thing for this woman to butt into the conversation, but that is the second time she had been interrupted.

"I don't really care about anything you have to say. You don't know Jim. You are all so fucking blind it is ridiculous," Suri turns her glare back on Spock, "Are you really sending him off this ship?"

"Affirmative, Cadet. Cadet Kirk's actions are bordering mutiny."

"He might be bordering mutiny, but you just jumped over the line of being a complete ass."

Without waiting for a response, Suri turns on heel with the intention of leaving the bridge. Stopping at the sight of pleading dark-blue eyes, Suri offers Evee a somber smile. A silent message passes between them, Evee's tension fading as she nods reluctantly before allowing the dark-haired woman to pass her by. Stepping onto the lift, Suri leans against the wall, closing her eyes as she awaits for her arrival to the jettison pods.

"You are displaying an overstimulated amount of emotional angst."

Suri doesn't bother opening her eyes, "I have nothing to say to you, Spock. You might as well return to the bridge."

"I will not allow you to leave the safety of this ship. I-We already lost too many people today."

Suri hears the familiar mechanical beep indicating her arrival. Allowing her eyes to slide open, she pushes away from the wall and steps toward the doors. Pausing, she peers over at her brother, seeing the heavy controlled tension laced along his features.

"Three years ago, I lost the only parent I had ever known. Two hours ago, I lost the only mother I will ever have. Less than five minutes ago, I watched my own brother order my best friend off this ship," Her gaze hardens as the haunting pains fight to break free, "I refuse to lose another person I care about due to the recklessness and stupidity of others, even if it is you."

Spock's eyes shutter before closing off, "I do not understand why Cadet Kirk is so important to you."

"Even Sky has limitations," A coy smile twists on her lips as his eyebrows shoot upward, "Let's make one thing clear, Spock. If I lose one more person I care about, all because you can't accept that our mother has died, then I promise you, you will lose one more family member. I already told Sarek this, so I have no problem repeating it: If this is the way Vulcans are meant to be, I'd rather be Human."

Stepping out of the lift, Suri ignores the motion of Spock's lips as the door slides shut. Turning on heel, she rushes toward the jettison pods.

* * *

"He threw you off the ship too? But you're Vulcan! Doesn't he know cold temperatures affect you more?"

Pulling her jacket closer, Suri sighs as the two trek across the icy tundra, "It doesn't matter, Sky. Though, I'm not sure which I would prefer: a dry, hot desert, or a dry, icy desert."

He chuckles, shaking his head, "You're crazy. You could have stayed on the ship, where it's safe."

"Don't act like you wouldn't be here if our positions were reversed."

Hearing the huff of annoyance, Suri cracks a small grin. She isn't sure how long the both of them have been walking, trying to locate the nearest Starfleet outpost.

"Let's be serious here for a moment," he calls out over the wind, "Why did you do it? Why did you get yourself thrown off the ship?"

Suri sighs, trying to huddle further into the warmth of her jacket, "I've already lost enough people in my life. I'd rather not lose you too."

"Aww...are you professing your undying love for me?" he teases, nudging her with a gloved finger.

Scoffing, Suri fights back the heat that flood across her cheeks and the tip of her ears, thankful for the hood pulled up over her head, "Don't flatter yourself. Now where-"

A distant roar cuts off their conversation, causing both to glance over their shoulders. Suri manages to catch sight of the large, furred beast charging straight for them. Snapping out of her stupor, Suri feels Sky grab her hand and drag her along the icy ground as the two break into a sprint.

"Holy shit! What the hell is that thing?"

"If it's all the same to you, Sky, I would rather not stick around for the introduction to its teeth!"

Skidding along flat ice, the two let out shouts of surprise when a new, arachnid-type creature bursts out from beneath the ice. Seeing it try to eat the previous creature, Suri tugs at Sky's hand, forcing him to follow as the red creature turns on them.

"Could this day get any worse!?" Suri cries out.

Apparently, it could. Rolling and stumbling down the side of large ice-cliff, Suri bites down on her bottom lip as the tender wound at her side begins to burn in protest. Scrambling to her feet at the base of the ice-cliff, she feels Sky at her back, his voice urging her toward the cave seen ahead of them. Racing deep into the cave, Sky's sound of surprise forces her to whirl around on point, grabbing Sky's wrist as the creature's tongue lashes out and wraps around his leg.

Neither of them expect a hermit to arrive with a lit torch, the open flame forcing the creature to back out of the cave. Crouching down next to Sky, Suri quickly assesses his physical damage.

"Thank God you're alright," Sky sighs, leaning back on his arms as she pulls up his pant leg, her fingers skimming over the nasty red lines wrapping around his leg.

"I could say the same for you."

"James T. Kirk," Both of them tense, looking up at the older man, "How on Earth did you find me?"

Struggling to his feet, Sky shoots a suspicious look at the man, "Hold on. How do you know my name?"

"I am, and will always be, your friend."

Tilting his head, Sky shares a curious look with Suri before turning back to the hermit, "Who are you?"

"My name is Spock."

Suri's eyebrows shoot up, mirroring Sky's own expression as both simultaneously call out, "Bullshit."

* * *

Suri remains silent as the older Spock talks with Sky. Watching the mind-meld the older Spock issues with her friend, Suri's fingers tingle in memory of her own hand touching Sky's. She remembers the odd sensation. It was frequent, whenever they had touched; whether it be in the middle of a Nitro competition, or accidental. She recalls one of the few conversations she shared with her mother.

_"I don't understand."_

_"Vulcans are touch telepaths. Their hands, mainly their fingers, act as conduits of the mind. When a Vulcan touches another person at their psi-points, a meld is formed which allows both to see into their thoughts and pass a great deal of information. Bonds, unbreakable bonds, can be forged through a Vulcan's touch."_

_"Bonds?"_

"You, I'm afraid I do not recognize."

The voice pulls her out of her thoughts as she looks up at the older version of her brother, "My name is Suri Grayson."

Those familiar eyes soften exponentially at her words, "Suri? I am pleased to finally meet you." Suri tilts her head, confusion dawning on her face, "In my universe, Suri died due to the irregularities in her Human traits which caused her to suffer from catastrophic heat exposure. My Suri died when she was in her infancy."

"Your Suri?" Sky's voice breaks through the hermit's voice. "What do you mean Human traits?"

"My mother gave birth to Suri six years after I was born, but-"

"I showed signs of more Human traits than Vulcan." Suri bows her head, eyes turning thoughtful, "In this time, I was sent to live with Aunt Melanie on Earth."

The following silence is broken by Sky, "Wait a minute. You mean..._Spock_ is your brother?" Suri nods slowly, unsure of the spark of aggressive fury in those bright blue eyes, "Your own _brother_ evicted you from the ship?"

"I didn't exactly give him a choice," Suri responds, ignoring the confusion taking over his gaze, "I _chose_ to come with you."

"**_Why_**?"

Inhaling deeply, Suri offers him a small smile, "I lost my aunt, and just moments ago, my own mother, along with the majority of my Vulcan ancestry. I'd rather not lose one of the few people I care about that's left."

As usual, the sudden heaviness in the conversation is broken by the forced grin and a nudge from Sky, "See? I told you, you loved me."

Rolling her eyes, she turns her gaze back to the dying fire, "Keep telling yourself that, and you might start to believe it. Now...what do we do? We know what Nero wants, so how do we stop him?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Leave a review and let me know what you think. If you can't tell, Suri is lashing out in response to her mother's death, which in contrast is what Spock has yet to do. This lashing out also explains why she's determined to stick with Kirk, due to fear of losing another loved one.**

**Also, I want to know if anyone else can spot something significant about this chapter; something that has actually occurred since the Prologue.**

**Onto my reviewers:**

**Winter: As always, thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

**SpikeKitten: Thank you, thank you, I hope this does justice. I'm trying to keep into account that while she is related to him, Suri is more Human than she is Vulcan.**

**ZabuzasGirl: I hope this is immediately enough. Thank you for reviewing.**

**Minions: 36!**

**Leave Reviews! Your reviews really keep me going! Let me know what you think and what you want to see more of! More Evee/McCoy moments in next chapter!**

**AND SCOTTY TOO!**


	9. Warm Revelations

**Chapter Eight**  
_Warm Revelations_

* * *

A sigh leaves her lips as Evee mechanically organizes the hypos, the meticulous motions drilled into her since before her time at Starfleet. McCoy had understood her need for privacy and taken her off the on-call roster, leaving her to stock up the supplies and register orders for new ones. Even in the middle of a crisis, Evee finds her thoughts swirling as she worries over her friend.

"Doctor Hayes?"

Recognizing the monotonous voice, Evee heaves another sigh, refusing to turn toward the Acting Captain, "Can I help you, Captain? I'm a bit busy at the moment."

"I understand that you are close friends with Cadet Grayson," Evee scoffs at the title that leaves Spock's lips, "I have realized that her decision is not easy on you and as Acting Captain, I felt it is my duty to ascertain your emotional stance in the situation."

Inhaling deeply, Evee shakes her head, "That's all very nice, Captain, but I'm afraid there is one thing wrong with your assumption." Setting down the PADD, Evee turns to face Spock, "Suri isn't a close friend of mine."

Spock's eyebrow quirks in confusion and surprise, "I was assured by Doctor McCoy that you and the Cadet were friends before your arrival at the Academy."

"Suri is my family, Captain. Or at least as close to one that I can remember," the blonde doctor responds, her eyes rolling in annoyance, "But I don't expect you to understand what that means."

"I fail to understand your reasons in your belief that I do not understand."

Scoffing again, Evee shakes her head, "No, you really don't. Suri is your _sister_, and you can't even use her name. I can't believe I actually encouraged her to try and form some kind of relationship with you."

"What do you mean?"

Meeting Spock's gaze, Evee runs her fingers through her hair, "Suri was nervous beyond belief to meet her estranged brother. She wasn't sure if you would even accept her. I insisted that she try and now look what's happened? You don't accept her for who she is. You don't even acknowledge that she _is_ your sister. Tell me, Spock, did you know she once told me that she almost wishes she had never come back?"

"Come back? I was unaware she went anywhere."

Evee snorts, "See my point? You didn't take the time to try and get to know her. She attended a special University on an off-planet colony when she was fifteen. She had finished her first term before she returned to Earth. Do you know that every time life gets too stressful, she either beats the hell out of a punching bag or pulls some dangerous stunt, just to escape it?" Noticing the slightest widening in his gaze, she nods slowly, "Whether she likes it or not, she is just as much Vulcan as she is Human, and she tried to make some connection with that part of her, but everything you do, or say, pushes her away. She keeps cutting herself off from that part of her and it's making her lack a balance."

"You carry a broad understanding when it comes to her," Spock admits, his eyebrows crinkling slightly, "Why does she carry such loyalty toward Cadet Kirk?"

Scoffing, Evee shrugs a shoulder, "Like I really know anything about that. Kirk is arrogant beyond belief and most days I can only ever tolerate him because he happens to be friends with McCoy and Suri. All I do know is that the two of them have had some...odd connection since the day they were both pulled into that bar fight three years ago. It's almost like they knew each other, even then."

"Bar fight?" Spock echoes, remembering a distant conversation with an irate sibling. "What do you mean they knew each other?"

"Yeah. Suri was heading back to the bar for another drink when Kirk was shoved into her. The moment Kirk steadied her balance, it was like the two recognized each other and Suri caught a fist to the side of the head. After that, everything just...snowballed." Evee's eyebrow quirks the slightest at the sight of a twitch along Spock's lips, "After that, it was like they were constantly at each other's side. I didn't trust him at first. Not until he joined her Nitro team in order to keep a protective eye on her."

A silence falls over the two causing Evee to sigh once more, "Look, Spock, I may not like Kirk, but I can definitely tell you that he cares about Suri. He's not going to let anything happen to her, and it's reversed for him as well. Even stranded on Delta Vega, those two have each other and I'd be surprised if they don't somehow figure a way back to us. They're like a twisted boomerang; no matter how hard people try to get rid of them, they still come back."

Spock seems to take in her words before nodding curtly, "Thank you, Doctor Hayes."

"Yeah, yeah. You want to thank me? Next time, try being a little more courteous to your sister. Stop thinking like a Vulcan and try acting like a Human around her."

Watching Spock leave the room, Evee shakes her head, "Dear Lord, what is wrong with these people?"

It isn't much longer when she hears her name softly called out, her eyes settling on McCoy, "Oh...Hey, Leon."

"How are you holdin' up, Darlin'?" the gruff Georgian doctor asks, his gaze sweeping over her with critical scrutiny.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Evee drops her gaze as she shakes her head, "I don't know. I mean, it's Suri and Kirk for God's sake. The two of them have always watched each other's backs, but..." Inhaling deeply, Evee swipes at her cheeks, annoyed with her emotional display, "God, she's my best friend and I just _let_ her go."

A familiar warmth presses against her side as McCoy leans against the desk, his hand rubbing her back in a slightly awkward fashion, "You know better than to worry about Jim and Suri. They're always doin' stupid things like this. That's why we're here, Darlin'. We're here to make sure that when they get their asses back here, they aren't broken."

Sniffling slightly, Evee heaves a sigh, "Hey, Leon? Do you ever get the feeling there's something they aren't telling us? I mean, it took me more than a _year_ for Suri to open up...and it's like...Kirk just blew in and they were instantly connected."

"To hell if I know. I'm a Doctor, not a Psychiatrist. Jim...he's just got this way of getting through to people. Even if it's negatively, Jim can get under someone's skin," McCoy pauses, glancing at her from the corner of his eye, "But, I'll admit, I don't really understand _how_ they are friends. They don't exactly have much in common, besides those Nitro games."

Swallowing back her self-pity and pushing away her suspicions, Evee meets his gaze, "How did your call go with Joanna?"

As the man's stern expression softens and his eyes brighten, Evee wonders if there is ever a time where someone looked like that when her name was mentioned.

* * *

"Oi! Spock from another universe!" Suri calls out over the roaring, icy winds, "How much longer? I'm not McCoy, but this shit is getting to my bones!"

Jim Kirk snorts as he huddles into his jacket more, shaking his head at his friend. Managing to look over at the older version of the current Acting Captain, Jim notices a small tug at the edges of the half-Vulcan's lips, his eyes crinkling the slightest bit. Is this how Spock turns out after a few years of working together? Hearing future Spock call out the precise distance left, Jim chances a look back at Suri and his amusement falters. Suri's natural complexion had somehow faded, paling two shades lighter than usual. Her moss-green eyes looked sunken in, her trembling lips had long since lost their pale-pink shade and gained a blueish-tint. Concern fills Jim and he falls behind future Spock, wrapping an arm Suri's shoulder and pulling her against his side.

"Don't worry, Jade. We're almost there. You and I have survived worse than this." Jim murmurs, swallowing back the fear forming in the pit of his stomach.

His heart hammers in his chest, the tempo building when all he receives in return is a weary nod. Seeing her blink tiredly, her eyes slowly glazing over, he pull to a complete stop. Taking both of her hands in his, he steps in front of her, turning his back on her before bending his knees. Hoisting her on his back, he grabs blindly at her thighs, lifting her off her feet and onto his back. Standing to his full height, he ignores the subtle strain of extra weight as he sprints to catch up with the future half-Vulcan.

"Hey! We gotta get her out of the cold," Jim shouts, fighting to keep his fear in control.

Thankfully, the older man only nod in agreement and hastens his movements. Jim struggles to keep from freaking out. He doesn't have many people in his life that matter: aside from Bones and Pike, Suri is the only one that gets him. Memories from a distant time full of terror swirls in his thoughts. Memories of a brilliant, quiet green-eyed girl keeping an observant eye over the camp of kids and teens as they slept. Memories of the two months on the run, until they finally got caught. Memories of himself standing tall and proud before their significantly smaller group, accepting to be the first to die before the evil tyrant, silently motioning for that same quiet girl with green eyes to stay back with the others. Memories of the vibro-blade flying past him and a soft, choked gasp echoing behind him. Memories of believing the blade to be poison, never realizing that the green substance had been her blood.

He wouldn't let her die then.

He sure as hell won't let her die now.

Not like this.

Following the alternate-Spock through the door of the Starfleet Outpost, Jim struggles to pull the door shut behind them. As the cool winds dies, Jim carefully crouches down and settles Suri against the wall of the corridor. Pulling the hood from over her head, his shaking hand cups her cheek as he carefully tilts her head up. Swallowing the thick lump in his throat, he feels the familiar hot prickling along the corner of his eyes at the uncharacteristic stillness.

"Suri? C'mon, Suri. You gotta wake up," he murmurs, carefully patting her cheek in an attempt to rouse her, his title instinctively changing as memories of long ago resurface, "Jade, c'mon."

The lack of response causes his brain to run a mile a minute as he tugs down the zipper of her jacket, his frantic motions of getting her out of the extra layers more forceful than usual. Removing his own jacket, he doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around the back of her shoulders and yank her toward him. Enveloping her in his arms, he instinctively curls his body around her own, his eyes sliding shut as his cheek rests against hers, willing away the dark memories.

"Jim," the aged voice pulls his eyes open and he looks up at the future dweller, only to see a creature approaching them at a jogging pace.

Realizing they are meant to follow, Jim hooks his arm under her legs and under her back before lifting her into his arms. Following behind them, Jim watches the comical introduction to a Starfleet Officer; Montgomery Scott. After ensuring the Officer that he, not Spock, wasn't from the future, Jim is surprised when Scott notices the unconscious figure in his arms. Scott saunters off, only to return with an odd canteen; carefully prying Suri's mouth open and pouring the contents down her throat. The fear in Jim's heart fades as a warm flush of green appears across her cheeks, her eyebrows twitching as she begins to stir.

"J- Suri?"

Relief floods through him as familiar moss-green eyes flutter open and another, slightly darker, tinge of green spreads along her cheeks, "Jim? W-what ha-hap-pened?"

"You went down," Jim manages to croak out, "Uh...this is Montgomery Scott. He had something that seemed to have warmed you up."

The sudden flood of heat hitting her seems to cause her to shiver even more, but she manages to smile at the new person, "Th-Thank you, M-Mr. S-Scott."

"Ah, not t'worry, lass. Y'be right as rain in no time."

As Scott gets pulled into a conversation about trans-warp beaming with the time traveler, Jim sits down next to Suri, throwing an arm over her shoulder as he pulls her into his side.

"Ar-Are y-you al-ri-ight?" she stutters, slowly overcoming the switch in body temperature.

Nodding slowly, Jim offers her a tight smile, "Yeah. I'll be fine. I...I guess you just scared me for a second."

"J-Jim K-Kirk? S-Scared?" she teases, grinning slightly as she tucks her head onto his shoulder.

Swallowing once again, he nods, "Of course. I mean...c'mon, Jade. Aside from Bones, you're my best friend. I can handle the threat of Earth's destruction, but...I can't lose you."

Feeling her lips twitch against the side of his neck, he shudders as her breath breezes across the sensitive skin, "I-I'm no-t go-ing any-wh-where."

Opting to remain silent, Jim simply tightens his grip around her slightly, trying to fight back the odd sensation in his chest.

Yeah. He can face anything.

As long as Jade, or Suri, or whatever she calls herself, is at his side.

And that revelation causes his stomach to churn and tighten, his throat tightening at the feeling.

* * *

In a whirl of white lights, Suri sighs with relief as she finds herself in the familiar bowels of the _Enterprise_. Smiling at Jim, she searches for their newest companion, who insists on being referred to as Mr. Scott, or Scotty. Hearing a knocking sound and a muffled hum, Suri and Jim both locate their missing companion as he waves at them frantically from the hydro-tubes.

Tubes that send water straight for the turbines.

Springing into action, she follows Jim as they race around, only for her to catch Jim by the sleeve. Motioning to the emergency escape valve and the control panel, Suri isn't surprised when Jim instantly races to hack his way through the security wall. As both ignore the cold shower they receive in response to helping Scotty collect himself, Suri helps the Engineering Officer off the floor before rushing after Jim.

"Come with me, _Cupcake_."

As the team of Security Officers lead them toward the bridge, Suri and Jim share a telling look. Seeing the hesitance fill his blue eyes, Suri offers him a small smile of confidence; silently promising to not become offended by anything he has to say. As the lift doors open and the full bridge crew turns to face them, Suri inhales deeply.

Now to watch her best friend emotionally compromise her brother.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, so, I'm not quite sure about the flow of this chapter, but...please let me know what you guys think. I am SUPER excited for the 40-plus Minions I have captured and I encourage you all to please leave a review. Let me know what you like, and what you don't like. Next chapter will have the infamous emotional outburst and some serious issues get sorted out before the attack on the Narade takes place.**

**To my reviewers!**

**Axarell: Yes, yes...I had to make her existence somewhat realistic, as TOS!Spock never had a sister. Yes, I can't imagine what the baby would have gone through, I shudder at the thought. Thank you, seriously, for your review, and I look forward to more from you in the future!**

**Winter: Yes...Evee is going to have an emotional outburst of her own coming next chapter, and you'll never guess who she blows up on (big grin)**

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardian967: Thanks, I'm glad you loved it!**

**MINION COUNT: 44 (followers)**

**Don't worry, this story doesn't end with the first movie! We have the year following and then the second movie! I welcome ideas for situations that happen between the first and second movie.**

**Keep feeding me reviews, and I'll keep writing!**


	10. Understanding

**Chapter Nine**  
_Understanding_

* * *

"I ask that you identify yourself."

"He's with us."

Suri sighs, her fingers rubbing at the side of her neck at the tension between Spock and Jim. She knew Jim _has_ to do this, but truthfully, Suri would rather not witness it. They may not be close, but Spock wasn't the _only_ person to lose a planet, or a parent. She knows Jim has a healthy understanding of negative responses and he will find the right trigger to compromise Spock's position as Acting Captain. Suri finds smoldering brown eyes locking onto her own, her back straightening instinctively with audible pops and cracks, causing her to wince. Scotty's drink might have replenished her body's temperature, but it didn't take away the soreness from the trek across the icy tundra.

"I suggest you report to the Med Bay, Cadet Grayson," Suri winces at the title, heaving a gentle sigh as her weary gaze drops to the ground.

Meeting the future-self of her brother, she wonders how the two could be _so_ different. She liked the alternate-Spock. He carried Vulcan intellect, but a sense of compassionate humanity that _this_ Spock hasn't come to know yet. Uncharacteristically, Suri remains silent as she nods her head, ignoring the gazes burning into the side of her head as she turns on heel. Weaving around the security team that had escorted them onto the bridge, Suri steps onto the lift and indicates her destination.

As she saunters down the halls toward the Med Bay, she muses over everything that has occurred over the past twenty-four hours. She knows, deep within herself, that she should be angry, or sad, that her mother died during the destruction of Vulcan. She knows all of this, but she simply doesn't feel it. Not that she doesn't mourn the loss, of course. The woman was still her mother.

Jim had been different. Protective as usual, she wasn't surprised by the frantic worry he displayed back on Delta Vega. His eyes, so bright with fear, had seemed so...different. A gleam that caused something in her chest to grow warm. She knows Jim had always been attractive, that was no real surprise to her. Sometimes his flirting manages to catch her off guard, forcing a warmth to spread across her cheeks. This warmth had been different. It was comfort. It was the feeling of something familiar.

The same feeling when her Aunt Lanie would laugh.

The same feeling when Evee would smile a real smile.

The feeling of acceptance and compassion.

The feeling of home.

**Smack!**

Suri groans, the tingle along her cheek residual in the shape of her friend's hand print. Blinking out of her thoughts, Suri finds an irate blonde Medic standing before her; hands resting on her hips as dark-blue eyes glare sharply in her direction.

She had forgotten about the storm awaiting her back here.

"Evee-"

**Smack!**

Suri's teeth grind against each other, a familiar tick appearing along the side of her jaw, as she fights the urge to respond to the physical abuse.

"Are you out of your mind!? What were you thinking?" Evee sneers, the aggression built into her expression without fail as Suri's posture straightens in response, "Do you have any idea what I've been going through since you decided to _eject yourself_ from the ship?"

"You have my most sincerest apologies for any grievances you harbored due to my decision," Suri responds calmly, her green eyes softening at the sight of her distraught friend.

"I won't accept any apology from you until you tell me _why_. Why is Kirk so damn important to you that you sent yourself on a planet that could have killed you?!"

"I went because no one else would."

"That's not an answer, Suri!"

Suri's fingers curl, tightening into fists as she tries to fight back the distant memories, "Jim is my friend. You know I would have done the same were you in his position."

"You and I have been friends for seven years! Seven years, Suri. How is it someone like Jim gets the same amount of loyalty?"

Suri's gaze drops to the floor, her eyes sliding shut as she forces herself to take a deep, calming breath, "I...don't know."

"Wh-what?"

Suri shakes her head, heaving a sigh as Evee settles her onto one of the bio-beds, a curtain pulling around the area to give the women privacy as Suri carefully slips her torn shirt over her head, "I don't know, Evee," Suri lets out a minor hiss as Evee sprays disinfectant along the stitched wound across his side, "Look, Evee, I've never been able to explain it. I've never needed to explain it. Our friendship just..._is_. While my friendship with you keeps my humanity intact, my friendship with Jim pushes me; keeping me strong against anything that I must face. Through you I understand compassion. Through him I understand strength."

Evee carefully applies the ointment to the bruising along her back and sides before carefully jabbing a hypo to the side of her neck, "I'm sorry for hitting you," Suri clicks her tongue against the back of her teeth, flashing her friend a cynical smile, "I am. You just frustrate me sometimes. I worry that one day you're going to get yourself killed for a stupid reason."

"I assure you, Evee. If I do die before I grow to a great age, it will never be for a stupid reason," Suri tacks on teasingly as she is offered brand new Security-red shirt.

She barely gets a chance to pull it over her head when Jim's voice calls out through the ship. Hearing the stern, but weary, voice recount Spock resigning command, Suri meets Evee's gaze, who smiles encouragingly. Hopping off the bio-bed, Suri pauses in the middle of her exit and turns back to Evee.

"Aren't you coming?" Evee's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, "I don't have all day."

* * *

"I'm going to go on ahead," Evee murmurs softly, her sympathetic gaze looking over the visibly distraught Spock.

Nodding her head, Suri barely glances at her friend as the blonde steps onto the lift. Inhaling deeply, she meets Sarek's passive gaze and when her eyes flicks to Spock before returning to him, Sarek nods curtly before removing himself from the room as well. Shifting her weight, Suri nibbles on her bottom lip before moving to stand at his side; both siblings staring at the warp pad. She muses over how to break the heavy silence between them; she was never truly good with dissolving tension. In fact, she knows that she causes people more tension than normal; Evee's display earlier being a pretty damn good example. She may understand the people around her, but she struggled with forming relationships of any kind with people. She knows, even though Spock is so annoyingly Vulcan in his mannerisms, that she is equally to be blamed for the strained relationship between her and her brother. Her reactions are often volatile, it's instantaneous and hot when it flashes through her veins.

"Father believes I should not hide my grief toward Mother's death, nor fight to keep my anger at bay or the thirst for revenge," Spock's normally monotonous voice is tinged with a haunting echo. "But how do I know what I should or should not express?"

"To hell if I know," Suri retorts sharply, scoffing at the idea, "I think sometimes I express my emotions too much. Look, Spock," Suri glances at him from the corner of her eye, but his gaze does not leave the warp pad, "Human emotions are exhausting, confusing and difficult for even _Humans_ to handle at the worst of times. I agree with Sarek," She does not miss the subtle twitch of his eyebrows at her use of their father's name, "You should not have to hide your emotions."

"It goes against the very philosophies I have known my entire life."

Nodding, Suri hums thoughtfully, "Perhaps it does, but I can't see your philosophies being able to help you cope with the destruction of your entire home planet. You have every right to be hurt, or angry, or upset. You have every right to want Nero's head impaled on a pike and displayed for those to come. I can't even begin to explain to you how to deal with the emotions, but from what I understand, Humans have various ways of purging themselves of the difficult ones. Aunt Lanie turned to art in order to cope. Evee hits the gym and runs on a treadmill until she collapses from exhaustion. Jim goes to bars to drink and sometimes looking for a fight. McCoy turns to alcohol as well, but prefers isolating himself from the company of others. Everyone has a coping method, some more dangerous than others, but it stops them from hitting rock bottom and it reminds them that they are still alive and still breathing."

"You understand your com-" Spock's brief pause causes Suri to snap herself from her deepened thoughts, "your _friends_ more than they realize."

"Of course I do. It is my job to analyze every facet to a new factor in an equation. People, relationships, emotions, reactions; all of it is just one huge equation that continues to uncover more factors that need to be thoroughly analyzed," Suri explains, slowly seeing a slight gleam of understanding in her brother's gaze, "So, instead of fighting the part of you that is Human, accept it as a new factor and analyze every facet you find. You might even be surprised by what Human emotions do to push you beyond your physical limitations."

Another moment of silence forms between them. This one less awkward. Suri's thoughts travel to her friends. She knows they try to hide their weaknesses behind false bravado, but Suri hadn't be considered a genius for nothing. They always covered the emotional weaknesses with false cheer and forced smiles. She never understood it. She never faked her emotions; never could really. Everything she feels just...races through her.

"Before you willingly escorted Kirk during his marooning, I recall you referring to him as Sky," Suri doesn't deny it, her head bobbing in agreement, "Why is it you carry so much faith in such an entirely illogical Human?"

Suri snorts, "Beats the hell out of me," she remarks, sighing as she runs her fingers through her bangs, "Jim is...accepting, I suppose. I never knew of my Vulcan heritage before Aunt Lanie died, but I had always known I was different. It was difficult for me to open up to people, and more often than not, people found themselves uncomfortable by my status as a genius. Evee was the first to accept that I was different. Jim is just as accepting," Suri bows her head, eyes half-hooded as phantom memories flicker through her thoughts, "There are instances in my past that make it difficult for me at times. Instead of badgering me for answers behind my actions, both Evee and Jim simply accept them and find ways to help where it is needed."

Suri nibbles on her bottom lip thoughtfully before bringing her gaze back to her brother, "Do you know why Jim cheated on your test?" Spock's eyes narrow, obviously still annoyed by her friend's actions, "After he failed the test the second time, Jim and I were talking about it. He said that your simulation, it's all based on logic and tactics, that it doesn't take in a person's instinct and thinking on the fly. I told him it is because computers see one-percent as a failure and not a possibility. Humans would take a look at that one-percent and they would do everything, regardless, to strive for it. One-percent is all a human needs to change the outcome of the situation."

"_You_ gave him the idea."

Snickering, Suri shrugs noncommittally, "Not intentionally, but I was trying to encourage him to go about it a different route. The fact that he took my advice and applied it to _physically_ altering the test was his idea alone." Suri smirks, shaking her head, "What I'm trying to get at, is that you have this idea that Humans are severely lacking when compared to Vulcans, but truthfully, they aren't. They lack discipline and various other implements, but they are willing to strive for the impossible; sometimes even achieving it merely by the strength of their will."

Spock's eyebrows knit together thoughtfully, "It appears you have a better understanding of Humans than I do."

Letting out a small huff of laughter, Suri grins, "I would hope so, seeing as though I've lived among them my entire life," Suri steps back, feeling his gaze following her, "I would have no problem talking more with you, but I need to get to the bridge. There _is_ a planet that needs to be saved and I'm sure this conversation can wait until later."

* * *

"What do you mean Doctor Hayes is coming?"

"Yeah. I know we agreed to have you come with us, but why Evee?"

Suri looks up from sheathing the vibro-blade to the outside of her thigh, wondering how two of the most important people on this ship happen to be so damn oblivious, "We have no idea what shape Captain Pike is in. Evee took enough Security Division classes that enables her to act as a Field Medic. In this type of situation, we need someone with enough medical knowledge to assess the type of damage Captain Pike may have sustained. Evee is more than capable of holding her own."

Jim glances over at the blonde doctor currently strapping a small pack of common hypo sprays to her belt, a phaser already holstered at her leg, "Are you sure? It...doesn't feel right. Bones is gonna kill me if we drag her on this crazy ride."

"Doctor McCoy is going to have to deal with it," Suri retorts sharply, causing Jim's gaze to snap at her instantly, "You _asked_ me to come with you because I am trained to be able to make the _best_ decisions in accordance to a mission. So _I_ am telling you that whether McCoy likes it or not, Evee is coming on this mission."

Jim inhales deeply, bringing his gaze back to Evee, who smooths over her dark-blue uniform shirt, before he nods in agreement, "Alright," Clapping Suri on the shoulder, he grins at the glare before walking around her, "Let's go screw over some Romulans."

Sharing an amused look with Evee, who rolls her eyes at Jim's actions, Suri motions for her friend to follow after their Acting Captain. Shaking her head, wondering how she puts up with their antics, Suri pauses in following the others when a familiar voice calls out for her attention. Turning, she blinks in confusion as Hikaru Sulu approaches her with haste.

"Is something wrong, Hikaru?"

"Besides the possible end of the world?" Suri glares at the snark, earning a sheepish grin in return, "Look, I just wanted you to take this with you. I know how much you hate phasers," Seeing the telescopic katana resting in his extended hand, her eyes widen briefly before softening, her fingers curling around the hilt, "I want it back. It was my father's, so I can't replace it."

Attaching it to her belt, Suri hears the underlying message encoded in his words and smiles a small, but genuine, smile, "I will make sure it returns to you in one piece."

Entering the transporter room, Suri blinks as Lieutenant Uhara stalks away from the room, toward the bridge. Confusion knits along her brow at the slightest discomfort displayed between the her brother and both of her friends. Perhaps she missed something. Stepping onto the warp pad, Suri offers Scotty a smirk as he explains they will be transported to an unoccupied area of the ship. In a whirl of white light, the four crew members fade from the pad.

* * *

Phaser blasts singe the air as the four appear.

"Not a soul in sight my ass."

Suri snickers at Evee's mumbled curses toward the engineer as they remove their phasers from their holsters. As Spock kneels beside an unconscious Romulan, Suri remains aware of their surroundings as she watches Spock place his fingers along the psi-points of the Romulan's face. Remembering her time with Jim and alternate-Spock, Suri's own fingers twitch. Was she a touch telepath as well?

"Did you find it?" Jim asks after rendering one of the two Romulans trying to sneak up on them, Evee easily taking out the second.

"And Captain Pike as well," Spock admits.

Suri's attentive eyes notice several shadows cast against the side of the hull, "Go," she instructs, feeling the three gazes burning into the side of her head, "We have company approaching," Her eyes slide shut, listening to the echoing footsteps, "Five by the sound of it, and more will be notified," Opening her eyes, she turns her attention to them briefly, "I can hold them off, but not if I am worried for your safety. Evee, go with Jim."

"We're not leaving you behind," Evee hisses, trying not to call attention to their position.

"They don't know we are here. I can take them out one by one without being detected, but I can't do it if you are here. We have a mission to do. Rescuing Captain Pike and commandeering that ship stashing the red matter is vital. I will catch up when I can, but for now, I can hold them off."

Spock and Evee are hesitant, but Suri is thankful that Jim understands. Them being removed from the area isn't for their safety. Jim has already witnessed just how detailed her training at the University had been. She doesn't want them to know just how attuned her combat skills are.

"Spock," Jim's voice calls out curtly, causing her brother and Evee to tense, "Doctor," Jim acknowledges while nodding to Suri, "We have our jobs. Spock, show us the way," Spock backs up, the slightest hint of hesitation in his movements, "That's an order, Commander."

Evee flashes a glare in Jim's direction before racing after Spock, leaving the two childhood friends alone.

"I better see you back on the _Enterprise_, Jade," Jim states curtly, his eyes bright and bold as usual.

Suri offers him a small smirk, "You as well, Sky."

As Jim leaves to follow after the duo, Suri sighs before moving deeper into the shadows of the cargo hold. Inhaling deeply, she lets out a calming breath as she removes a long, thin and nearly indestructible wire from the several compartments along her belt. Straightening the coiled wire out, she carefully wraps it around the palms of her hands, tightening the slack between both ends. Witnessing the first Romulan cross her path, Suri hooks her bound hand over his head, pulling the wire against his throat. Snapping a kick to the back of his knees, her eyes harden as his body caves under its weight; her other leg lifting as she pulls the wire tight against his throat. Slamming the heel of her boot-clad foot against the back of his head, Suri barely registers the spray of green blood as the thin, deadly wire slices through the skin, tissues and arteries around the Romulan's throat.

_One down. Four to go._

* * *

Evee pauses, watching Spock sit at the helm of the strange ship, "Hey, Spock," The half-Vulcan quirks an eyebrow, "For what it's worth, I am sorry for your loss."

She doesn't wait for a response, not that she expected one. Racing after Jim, she watches as Jim skids to a halt at the edge of a high rise. Removing all thought, and using the built up momentum of chasing after Jim, Evee launches herself off the high rise. Ignoring the shout, she bites back the groan as her feet connect with the ground. Allowing her knees to bend and her body to roll with the movement, she rolls along the adjacent high rise and continues racing toward the area where Pike is being contained.

Rounding a corner, the doctor ducks under the swipe of a fist, her own knuckles connecting solidly with the open torso. Remembering Romulan physiology, Evee aims snap kick to the lower, left-side of his unprotected torso; right where the heart is. Hearing the gasp as the large creature stumbles away from her, Evee removes the vibro-blade from its hilt, hidden beneath her left sleeve. Unforgivably driving the blade into the torso of the Romulan, Evee shudders slightly at the choked gasp. She's never had to kill someone before, but she knows that the Romulans would not be lenient toward Starfleet personnel. As his knees buckle, she uses her foot to pry the blade from his chest, allowing his dying body to fall to the ground.

"Hayes!" Hearing Jim's voice call out, Evee glances up and nods at the questioning look. "Thank God."

Quirking an eyebrow, Evee snorts, "Don't act like you and I are friends, Kirk."

"I know we aren't," Jim complies, instinctively taking point as the two continue down the path, "Neither Bones or Suri would be pleased if I let you die. Although," Jim cracks a small grin, "do they know you are just as crazy as Suri and myself?"

"I introduced Suri to Space Jumping," Evee admits sardonically, offering the arrogant man a smirk, "McCoy believes I gave up on extreme sports."

"Yeah, well, remind me not to get on your bad side," Jim retorts.

Cracking a genuine smile, Evee shakes her head. Okay, so maybe she can see why Suri is so close with Jim. He might be arrogant as all hell, but perhaps all of that bravado is instinctive.

* * *

Emotionless green eyes watch as the light flickers from the Romulan's brown eyes; his mouth open in a silent gasp as he takes his last breath. Shoving the body away from her, she ignores the squelching sound as the katana blade slides out of his torso. Turning as the body crumbles to the floor, Suri wipes the green blood along her black pant leg. Her heightened senses twitch, adrenaline pumping through her body as she searches for any more. Her body aches, old injuries clashing with fresh ones, but she refuses to give into the pain.

Her body has other plans as her stance buckles, bringing her down to one knee. Blinking into awareness, she glances down to find a piece of metal speared into her thigh. Locating a nearby wall, she carefully slides down the length as she rips both of the sleeves off her uniform shirt. Damn if that wasn't a fresh one too. Tearing them into long strips, Suri runs a delicate finger along the injury. She won't be able to walk, let along run, with the metal piercing her flesh. Approximating a few inches above the wound, she takes one of the strips, tying it tightly around her thigh; having it act as a temporary tourniquet. Reaching for the shrapnel, she clenches her teeth as she swiftly removes it from her leg. Taking the remaining strips of cloth, she quickly bandages the wound; ignoring the green blood coating the flesh of her leg. Using the blade of her knife, she tears off the ruined pant leg, cutting them into separate strips before binding her cut palms; using wires often acted like a double-edged sword. Effective, while dangerous.

Moving to her feet, she glances down at herself and snickers. Damn, does she look like a nutcase or what? Shaking her thoughts from her head, she readies herself for the next fight at the sound of rushed footsteps approaching.

* * *

Returning to the transporter room of the _Enterprise_, Suri remains silent as Evee rushes off with McCoy, the duo attempting to stabilize the injured Captain Pike. Jim and Spock are quick to rush back to the bridge, wanting to shut down Nero once and for all. She isn't surprised and she doesn't speak as she passes the wide eyes of a cheerful Scotty; his smile faltering as he takes in her injuries. Offering him a tired smile, Suri pushes herself ahead as she aims toward Med Bay. She barely gets to the threshold of the transporter room when her senses swirl; a sense of vertigo washing over her as her vision swirls.

"Suri!"

The shout seems muffled, as if her head is submerged in water, and even at the frantic tone, she welcomes the darkness and silence as her world falls out from under her with a sickening crack.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the slight delay. There were some personal issues I had to deal with. Thank you for your support, all of you are awesome!**

**To my reviewers!**

**Angel897: Thank you for your review, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**Neko: lol...I'm glad you think this is awesome and thank you. I like to think I'm a pretty good author.**

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardian967: Thank you, thank you (grins)**

**Winterfellsfallen: This is for you, because both of us have had crappy weeks. And good luck on that sleep thing.**

**MINION COUNT: 53 All of you are awesome, even in your silence!**

**Please review. I hope you all understand that I am not the type that is going to re-write the entire movie(s). You've seen it. You know what's going to happen. Unless Suri, or Evee, are directly involved in the situation, it is assumed that they are there, or aware of the situation. Understand that I ended this chapter this particular way for a special reason; and I will tell you that it will lead to a Spock/Suri moment that has been in the making this entire story thus far. This is not the end of my story, for there is more to tell and stories to unfold.**

**Thanks again and leave another review!**


End file.
